McConnell describes legislative filibuster as ‘Kentucky’s veto’

Minority Leader Mitch McConnell explained his support for the legislative filibuster’s 60-vote threshold, making the case in an op-ed in his home state paper, the Courier-Journal, published Monday that the filibuster is actually “Kentucky’s veto” to prevent “radical” changes that would hurt the state.

The piece comes a week after a stark warning to Democrats against changing the rules of the filibuster in a floor speech, and a WSJ op-ed making a similar point headlined: “The Scorched-Earth Senate.”

In the Courier-Journal op-ed, McConnell argues the filibuster stops “radical schemes like the Green New Deal and socialized health care” that he claimed would devastate the state. He also said the filibuster protects Kentucky from being “steamrolled” by states like New York and California.

McConnell specifically uses the piece to say the filibuster stops the “radical ambitions” of those like Rep. John Yarmuth, a Kentucky Democrat and chairman of the influential House Budget Committee, pointing to his agenda on gun control and voting rights.

Yarmuth responded on Twitter to McConnell’s comments saying he’s proud to support such “radical ambitions” as McConnell put it.

“Proud to support such ‘radical ambitions’ as ending gun violence, making it easier for Americans to vote, and increasing the likelihood that the Senate will actually pass legislation supported by the overwhelming majority of Americans and Kentuckians,” he tweeted above a link to the op-ed.