Granite State Times

Last month, House Resolution 1, a bill spearheaded by Senate Democrats that would have enacted a federal election code for the entire country, failed following a filibuster by Republican senators.

The proposed bill would have provided federal authority on elections and eliminated the need for state election laws, according to an opinion column in the Wall Street Journal.  

Democrats argued that the bill was necessary to ensure voting rights that are essential to democracy, while conservatives countered that the proposed measure would only continue to erode the public’s confidence in the election process.  

Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-New Hampshire) voted for HR 1 and has gone on record against the legislative filibuster, which the Republican senators employed to sink the bill.

However, a recent poll shows that many Americans don’t share Hassan’s sentiments, and while the public is divided on filibuster reform, very few of them want to eliminate it completely.

A Monmouth University poll found that 76% of respondents did not believe that the filibuster should be done away with.  

The poll also revealed that there are fractions of the public who consider adjustments to the filibuster acceptable, with 46% of responders agreeing that the filibuster threshold should be kept at 60 votes.

Hassan’s position on the topic has changed from four years ago when she was a part of a bipartisan group of senators who wrote a letter to Senate Leaders Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) and Chuck Schumer (D-New York), urging them to leave the filibuster in place.

The letter was written on the heels of a Republican sweep of the U.S. House, Senate and presidency.

“We are writing to urge you to support our efforts to preserve existing rules, practices and traditions as they pertain to the right of members to engage in extended debate on legislation before the United States Senate,” the bipartisan letter stated. The letter was dated April 7, 2017.

The inconsistency of Hassan’s position comes amidst a PBS report that the senator supports reforming the filibuster to a threshold below 60 votes.

Her shift in attitude aligns with that of other Democratic lawmakers, who feel a sense of urgency, as several states across the nation enact stricter voting laws. Democrats are seeking to change the parliamentary procedures, or eliminate them completely.

Hassan's change of heart is not uncommon amongst her party, as The Washington Post has reported that 39 Democratic senators have gone on to alter their positions on keeping the filibuster intact.

Earlier in June, Hassan reaffirmed her support for reforming the filibuster to NBC News. "I have talked about the importance of reforming it," she said. "I think it's critically important that it not be abused, and I think that we are having these discussions right now."

Hassan’s filibuster views come on the heels of what could be a very contentious reelection campaign. Hassan faces reelection in 2022 in what is shaping up to be a potentially tough race.

The current governor of New Hampshire, Chris Sununu (R), is being pushed by numerous lawmakers and party officials to run against Hassan in next year’s election. Sununu could present a serious challenge to Hassan as he holds a robust approval rating of 68%, making him one of the country’s more popular governors, despite the fact that New Hampshire is not traditionally a “red” state.