Thread by @jlabomb

Things I hope Dems consider as we rush again into a #filibuster fight: #Abortion is still legal in 1/2 the states. Some Rs are pushing a *nationwide* ban. As we often have won't Dems need the filibuster in coming yrs to hold the line/protect access where women still have it? 1/10

Will it help to spend floor time on another doomed-to-fail plan to eliminate a tool which history shows we’ll need to stave off a nationwide ban? Will it help contrast the views of those who support-vs.-oppose abortion rights, or help Dems win competitive general elections? 2/10

To progressives complaining about the message of “elect more pro-choice Ds” b/c “we already did that”... we didn’t really. Our party *lost* 13 House seats in ’20 + some Sen. races we thought we’d win. We won the Senate but w/ an historic hair-thin majority built w/ mods. 3/10

& of course we lost the election that truly mattered in all this: the ’16 presidential. So yea urging pro-choice Americans to vote & positioning our party to win competitive generals isn’t a short-term fix b/c there are none, but it’s among the only meaningful plans we have. 4/10

For those saying McConnell will, if he takes over, nuke the filibuster anyway.. I mean maybe? He didn’t previously when Trump told him to but maybe he will. But why on earth should we clear the field for him when our bill this year codifying Roe maxed out at 49 Senate votes? 5/10

For those who doubt we’ll desperately want the filibuster to protect abortion access in the states where it’s still legal - the filibuster has been a friend to abortion rights even during just the years I spent working in the Senate (mainly for pro-choice female Dem. Sen.s). 6/10

2/25/2020: MTP defeated by a Democratic filibuster, 56-41 (60 votes needed), on the so-called abortion survivors protection bill

1/29/2018: MTP defeated by a Democratic filibuster, 51-46 (60 votes needed), on the 20-week abortion bill

7/10

9/22/2015: MTP defeated by a Democratic filibuster, 54-42 (60 votes needed), on the so-called “Pain-capable Unborn Child Protection Act”

8/3/2015: MTP defeated by a Democratic filibuster, 53-46 (60 votes needed), on a ban on funding for Planned Parenthood

8/10

9/29/2006: MTP defeated by a Democratic filibuster, 57-42 (60 votes needed), on a bill criminalizing transporting a minor across state lines without parental notice…

The list goes on and on of times we've used the filibuster to protect abortion access. 9/10

All this to say, Democrats could instead use a *long-term* view & strategy that starts w/ winning competitive general elections & avoids unnecessarily further jeopardizing access to abortion in the states where women currently still have it. Imperfect, but it's a start. 10/10