In the US Congress, part of the growing partisan polarization - bound to deepen under the Biden administration - is manifested by the increasing use of the filibuster in the Senate. The filibuster is a parliamentary procedure designed to prevent a bill from being brought to a count, by holding up the final vote until the majority drops the bill. However, another legislative tool exists to circumvent Senate minority filibusters: the budget reconciliation process. This procedure gives the Senate majority the power to overcome the Senate minority’s systematic obstructions. As pertaining to Joe Biden's economic stimulus package, Democrats used the budget reconciliation process, thus excluding Republicans from the vote.
Concerning Joe Biden's future legislative proposals, the Republican filibuster suggests that there will be many obstacles to implement the new administration's agenda. One final - yet unprecedented - option could allow Biden to break the gridlock in the House: suppress the use of the filibuster. This would introduce a fundamental change in the US parliamentary voting system, ending the ability of a minority to defeat multiple bills. This is theoretically possible, but requires support from all Democratic senators - which, as of yet, is not the case. Nevertheless, this option is being increasingly discussed. On the other hand, the filibuster is gradually being reduced in scope. It was for example reformed for federal court appointments in 2013, under the Obama administration, and then extended to Supreme Court nominations.
The most likely scenario for the next few years is that the Republicans will continue their filibusters. In that case, attempts to implement various elements of Joe Biden's agenda will only be realized through the reconciliation process - which could be the case for his infrastructure program, for example - or if the Democrats decide to reform the filibuster, an increasingly realistic option.
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