Samantha Bee comes up with a dozen creative ways to kill the filibuster

published 3 June 2021

Last week, "Senate Republicans once again took democracy behind the back of the barn and shot it in the face," using the filibuster to block a bipartisan Jan. 6 Capitol riot commission, Samantha Bee said on Wednesday's Full Frontal. "The truth is, there's nothing that can overcome Mitch McConnell's obstruction — he's so adept at clogging things up, he's the first human to be designated a fatberg."

"This was the first time during this congressional session that Republicans used the filibuster to block legislation, but it won't be the last," Bee said. "There's only one solution: We have to kill the filibuster. And when I say kill it, I mean, kill it. Burn it, strangle it, draw a bath and drop a plugged-in toaster on it, I do not care. The point is, the filibuster needs to die." She came up with a dozen ways to do the deed, but was agnostic on the murder method.

It would only take a simple majority of 51 votes for the Senate to kill the filibuster, like the House 150 years ago, "but unfortunately, much like the Friends reunion, the Democratic Party is held back by people who make you ask things like, 'Okay, but why is he there?'" Bee said. She singled out Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), who has repeatedly said he won't vote to kill the filibuster. "Democrats, you won!" she said. "Stop letting the losers call the shots!"

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Democrats could actually pass some huge priorities, like infrastructure spending, with a simple majority. "The bad news is one of those votes has to be Joe Manchin," Trevor Noah said at The Daily Show. "And it's not just infrastructure: If Joe Biden wants anything passed, from gun control to raising the minimum wage to making LeVar Burton the host of Jeopardy!, he has to get Joe Manchin on board. Basically, if the Democrats are Britney Spears, then Joe Manchin is their dad." They might resent him, but he's also the only reason they have their narrow majority, he noted. "So that's Joe Manchin: party-pooper, radically boring, and the most powerful man in America."

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.