Op-Ed by NFRW President Ann Schockett

Democrats were for the filibuster before they were against it.

In 2005, then-Senator Joe Biden defended the filibuster, saying at its core the filibuster “is about compromise and moderation.”

Just last year, when Republicans controlled the Senate, Kamala Harris led a filibuster to kill police reform, blocking Senator Tim Scott’s bill that would have addressed concerns of the African-American community.

In fact, when they were in the minority last year, Democrats used the filibuster 327 times.

Now, however, consensus, honest debate, and respect for opposing opinions are no longer of any interest to them. Having achieved the narrowest possible majority in the U.S. Senate, Chuck Schumer and his minions are moving to ditch the long-standing pillar of Senate statesmanship.

It is all part of a calculated agenda by power-hungry Democrats to lock-in one party rule and cement control of all three branches of government.

Once the filibuster with its requirement of 60 votes to advance a measure to final vote falls, the rest of the agenda cascades into place behind it like dominos.

D.C. and Puerto Rico statehood pad the Democrats’ votes in both houses of Congress and put them on their way to a permanent electoral college majority.

To cement their hold, there’s H.R. 1 to remove safeguards at the ballot box and invite election manipulation. Add a flood of immigrants at the border who can now be put on the fast track to citizenship.

And, of course, court packing to lock in the Supreme Court.

With those pesky checks and balances consigned to the ash heap of history, the skids are greased for the Green New Deal, Medicare for All, confiscation of guns and any variety of socialist redistribution schemes under the guise of “infrastructure,” COVID relief, reparations, or just because.

All with no fear of recourse at the ballot box. Once the dominos have fallen, it will be too late for buyers’ remorse. Elections will no longer matter.

Perhaps this scenario sounds far-fetched based on our American experience. But ask someone from Venezuela or Cuba what happens when a country is seduced by the siren call of socialism. The ultimate price is freedom. And the filibuster is our last line of defense to prevent the dominos from falling.