Problem Solvers Caucus Backs Proposal to Preserve the Senate Filibuster
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Co-Chairs Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01) and Tom Suozzi (NY-03) announced the Problem Solvers Caucus’s official endorsement of H.J.Res.4, a bipartisan resolution proposing a constitutional amendment to codify the Senate filibuster into law.
The amendment would make the Senate’s three-fifths requirement to invoke cloture a permanent part of Senate procedure, preventing any future use of the “nuclear option” to eliminate it. It preserves all current exceptions to the filibuster, including requiring only a simple majority for presidential nominations and budget reconciliation. Crucially, it would take effect only upon ratification by three-fourths of the states.
The filibuster is the single most important rule for preserving bipartisanship in Congress. The 60-vote threshold to invoke cloture on a bill ensures that legislation must receive bipartisan support to become law, allowing lawmakers from both parties to play a meaningful role in the legislative process.
In recent years, both parties have called for eliminating the filibuster to pursue their legislative agenda without input from the minority party. This endorsement reflects PSC’s staunch opposition to any such effort.
Legislation must receive support from at least 75% of PSC Members in order to receive official caucus endorsement. H.J.Res.4 decisively cleared that threshold, with support evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans. It was brought up for endorsement by Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01) and Jared Golden (ME-02).
“Bipartisan collaboration and compromise is the single most important ingredient to a healthy democracy. Moreover, bipartisan collaboration and compromise must always be a two-way street, applied equally and fairly to all situations, regardless of who is President or who controls Congress. This is especially true as it pertains to the filibuster,” said Problem Solvers Caucus Co-Chair Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01). “The filibuster is the single-most important tool to compel bipartisan collaboration and compromise in the Senate. However, it must apply equally to everyone and in all situations. It cannot just apply to one party and not the other; it cannot just apply to some Congresses but not others. It must always be a two-way street, applied equally and fairly to all parties and in all situations. I am proud of our Bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus for taking this bold step to endorse my constitutional amendment that will forever and permanently codify the filibuster, so that its removal can never be used as a tool by one party to threaten another. This bipartisan tool must be made forever permanent, so that bipartisan collaboration is made forever permanent. The future of our democracy, and the future of the United States of America, depend on it.”
“We’re seeing increasing calls from both parties to eliminate the filibuster, but we cannot fight polarization and division by removing one of the only guardrails that still incentivizes bipartisanship,” said Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02). “Many of Congress’s biggest achievements — including major recent laws like the Respect for Marriage Act, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act; and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law — were made possible because we came together across the aisle. Protecting the filibuster ensures that no matter which way the political pendulum swings, the minority still has a seat at the table.”
“For more than a century, the legislative filibuster has forced lawmakers to build broad coalitions and win the trust of the American people. The filibuster is one of the main reasons that Members of Congress still look for bipartisan solutions. It can be frustrating, even slow, but that deliberative process has protected our democracy and ensured lasting, bipartisan progress. Now, Americans watch horrified as extremism gains footholds on both the left and the right. Partisans are, not for the first time in our history, calling for the elimination of the Senate’s legislative filibuster in an effort to advance their unpopular agenda,” said Problem Solvers Caucus Co-Chair Congressman Tom Suozzi (NY-03). “This endorsement reflects our caucus’s position that the filibuster must be preserved, no matter who is in power. The Problem Solvers Caucus is prepared to fight back against extremism with real reform that works for all Americans: we must protect the filibuster.”
“The filibuster has been a Senate reality since 1789 and is a way to ensure the minority is not run over by the majority,” said Problem Solvers Caucus Whip Congressman Don Bacon (NE-02). “It produces more consensus and bipartisan policies.”
"The Senate filibuster forces both sides to sit down, talk straight, and work things out," said Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28). "That’s what the Problem Solvers Caucus is all about – finding the middle ground where real progress gets made. The 60-vote rule makes sure we keep it that way: steady, fair, and built to last. It’s a fundamental check that keeps power balanced and our democracy working the way it should."
“The filibuster has long served as a safeguard for deliberation, moderation, and bipartisan cooperation in our democratic republic,” said Congressman Mike Lawler (NY-17). “Preserving it protects the voice of the minority and ensures that major legislation earns a broad consensus. I’m proud to support this bipartisan effort, and I commend my Problem Solvers Caucus colleagues for coming together to defend one of the Senate’s most important traditions.”
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The Problem Solvers Caucus is a group of Members of Congress — split between Republicans and Democrats — committed to advancing common-sense solutions to key issues facing our nation.