McConnell says rules changes to Senate would make it more like House

Senate leaders once again debated rule changes Tuesday.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said the Senate would be acting more like the House if the minority was no longer allowed to filibuster the motion to proceed to a bill — something Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has said he plans to propose at the beginning of next year.

“In terms of protecting the right of the minority to represent their constituents through amendments on the floor, the House is becoming more like the Senate used to be, and the Senate is becoming more like the House used to be,” McConnell said on the floor Tuesday.

Reid countered that he doesn’t need a “mini-lecture” on how the House operates since he was a House member prior to coming to the Senate.

“I know how the House works, I served in it,” Reid said.

Reid then used Sen. John McCain’s (R-Ariz.) words against his own party. On Monday, McCain said a filibuster on the National Defense Authorization bill lends “credence” to the argument for a change to filibuster rules.

Reid has said he wants to end the filibuster on motions to proceed to the bill, require lawmakers filibustering to remain on the Senate floor and would end the filibuster on moving legislation to conference committees with the House.

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