PoliticsPoliticsfilibusterKevin McCarthy

Kevin McCarthy Wants Senate Republicans To Get Rid Of The Filibuster

GOP House Majority Leader: Get Rid Of The Filibuster
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House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-CA, speaks during an event to urge US President Barack Obama to sign the Keystone XL legislation on February 11, 2015 in the Rayburn Room of the US Capitol in Washington, DC. Congress was set Wednesday to green-light the Keystone XL pipeline transporting Canadian oil to US refineries, but President Barack Obama is pledging to veto the measure. AFP PHOTO/MANDEL NGAN (Photo credit should read MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images)

The No. 2 Republican in the House said on Sunday that the Senate should exercise the "nuclear option" and get rid of the filibuster to resolve the standoff over funding for the Department of Homeland Security.

Senate Democrats have used the filibuster to block legislation that would have funded the DHS while defunding President Barack Obama's executive actions on immigration. Even though Republicans opposed getting rid of the filibuster when Democrats controlled the Senate, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said the party should do so now.

"I don’t think going nuclear when you have 57 percent of the Senate voted for the Collins amendment that would take away the president's action," McCarthy said on NBC's "Meet The Press," referring to the amendment introduced by Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) that would not fund the president's recently announced executive actions on immigration, but would leave in place the 2012 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

"That's not nuclear, when 57 percent of the American representation says it's wrong. That's not in the Constitution," McCarthy said. "I think they should change the rules."

Current Senate rules allow senators to stymie votes on legislation unless 60 members of the upper chamber support it. Democrats eliminated the filibuster for executive office and federal court nominations, except for the Supreme Court, in 2013. The process requiring a 60-vote threshold remains in place for votes on legislation, but House Republicans have been pleading with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to change the rules.

Despite his call to get rid of the filibuster, McCarthy has supported the practice in the past. In 2013, he said that a 13-hour filibuster by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) during the confirmation of CIA Director John Brennan was "fantastic."

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Before You Go

Distinguishable Members Of Congress
Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.)(01 of14)
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Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.) is rarely seen without one of her signature, colorful, wide-brimmed hats. She's even said she has hundreds of hats in her collection. (credit:U.S. Congress)
Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.)(02 of14)
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Boozman hears his constituents loud and clear. The Arkansas senator has some of the most distinctive ears in the House. CORRECTION: This slideshow originally identified Boozman as a member of the House. We have updated to reflect he is a Senator from Arkansas. (credit:U.S. Congress)
Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.)(03 of14)
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Though political opponents, including Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), have attempted to use Grijalva's mustache against him, he and his facial hair have risen above their enemies. (credit:U.S. Congress)
Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.)(04 of14)
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Rep. DeLauro's short, dark hairdo makes her stand out. She's also known to wear some distinctive glasses and dynamic outfits. Some would even say she's a "hipster." (credit:U.S. Congress)
Rep. James Lankford (R-Okla.)(05 of14)
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Lankford's bright red hair stands out in the sea of salt-and-pepper congressmen. (credit:U.S. Congress)
Speaker Of The House John Boehner (R-Ohio)(06 of14)
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Boehner's striking blue eyes are perhaps the most unusual pair in Congress. Also, his skin is orange. (credit:U.S. Congress)
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.)(07 of14)
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Wasserman Schultz's curly blonde hair can't be missed. An October 2012 Vogue makeover called attention to the Florida representative's style.
Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.)(08 of14)
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King has made some eyebrow-raising remarks, so it's a good thing his brows are some of the most memorable in all of Congress. (credit:U.S. Congress )
Rep. Al Green (D-Texas)(09 of14)
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Most of the men in Congress opt for the clean-shaven look. While the few with facial hair favor the mustache, Green goes all out. (credit:U.S. Congress)
Rep. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.)(10 of14)
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Rep. Duckworth is the first Asian-American woman elected to Congress in Illinois, the first member of Congress born in Thailand and the first woman with disabilities to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. For many reasons she's one of the strongest and most recognizable members of the House. (credit:U.S. Congress)
Rep. Kristi Noem (R-S.D.)(11 of14)
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Noem is more than just a pretty face. Last year, after getting voted hottest freshman in congress, she brushed off the accolade, saying she'd rather the attention be given to her lawmaking skills. (credit:U.S. Congress)
Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.)(12 of14)
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Rep. Engel has donned the same mustache since he was first elected to Congress in the early 1990s, making his facial hair the most reliable and recognizable in the House. (credit:U.S. Congress )
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii)(13 of14)
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Gabbard stands out from the crowd as the first American Samoan and the first Hindu member of Congress. (credit:U.S. Congress )
Rep. Joe Kennedy III (D-Mass.)(14 of14)
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Kennedy looks strikingly like his famous family members and political predecessors. (credit:U.S. Congress)
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