Democrats are putting filibuster reform on the ballot

Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema are on their way out of the Senate, which means Democrats’ biggest block to progress—the filibuster—could be, too. Filibuster reform is front and center in this election, with Democrats arguing that a restoration of abortion rights, voting rights, and civil liberty protections hang in the balance.

Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley, a longtime leading advocate of filibuster reform, told NBC News that the prospects for reform look promising if the Democrats hold the Senate.

“Unfortunately, two folks decided to support the no-effort obstruction, as opposed to the talking filibuster,” Merkley said. “But I think everyone who’s staying is pretty supportive of going through the process of making the Senate work again.”

That includes even a moderate Democrat like Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly. 

“I’ve been here just over three years, and I’ve never seen an organization with rules like the United States Senate,” Kelly said. “If NASA had these rules, the rocket ship would never leave the launchpad. So as changes to the rules come up, I’ll evaluate it based on the merits.”