President Donald Trump on Tuesday renewed his call for the Senate to change its rules following the collapse of Republicans' latest attempt to replace Obamacare.
But the huge change Trump suggests — which Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has opposed in the past — would not have saved the health-care bill.
In a tweet Tuesday, Trump urged the Senate to get rid of the filibuster and "go to a 51 vote majority instead of the current 60 votes." Trump suggested that Democrats — who effectively hold 48 seats in the 100-seat chamber, including two independents who often vote with them — "control" the Senate because they can force a 60-vote threshold on legislation.
Scrapping the filibuster for legislation would not have saved the bill that collapsed Monday night amid divisions within the Republican Party. Using budget reconciliation rules, the GOP, which controls 52 seats, could pass the plan with only a majority vote. They only needed 50 votes because Vice President Mike Pence can cast a tie breaking vote.
Four Republicans opposed even a motion to proceed with the bill, which would have allowed debate to start. The GOP fell two votes short of even 50 senators before McConnell announced that the Senate would abandon plans to immediately replace Obamacare and instead push to pass a repeal-only bill.
Trump has called for the rules change in previous tweets.
McConnell had no immediate response to Trump's call to kill the filibuster.