Flake: GOP Has ‘No Stomach At All’ To Change Legislative Filibuster

UNITED STATES - FEB. 23 - Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., listens to an answer for his question during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on "The Unaccompanied Children Crisis: Does the Administration Have a Plan to Stop... UNITED STATES - FEB. 23 - Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., listens to an answer for his question during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on "The Unaccompanied Children Crisis: Does the Administration Have a Plan to Stop the Border Surge and Adequately Monitor the Children?," in the Dirksen Senate Office Building, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2016. (Photo By Al Drago/CQ Roll Call) (CQ Roll Call via AP Images) MORE LESS
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Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) on Thursday said that Republicans have “no stomach at all” to blow up the legislative filibuster, though Senate Republicans voted earlier the same day to change the filibuster rules on Supreme Court nominations.

“There is no stomach at all to change the legislative filibuster, so there’s still the requirement to reach across the aisle to get 60 votes,” Flake said on CNN. “I’m glad there is.”

He cited Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s (R-KY) comment that there is “no sentiment to change the legislative filibuster.”

“If you want legislation that endures, that is durable, then you reach across the aisle, and that’s what we have to do on legislation,” Flake said. “We’ll still have to do that and I’m glad for that. That makes the Senate the Senate.”

Senate Republicans on Thursday went nuclear in the face of a Democratic filibuster and voted to change Senate rules in order to move forward Neil Gorsuch’s nomination to the Supreme Court with a simple majority.

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