It seems really bizarre to me that it takes 60 votes in the senate to pass a budget. I’m fine with the filibuster for legislation - but for a budget? We should be passing a budget every friggin year but we can’t because of the required super majority.
So from a matter of policy, it doesn’t make sense. From a matter of politics, Mertle’s refusal to kill the filibuster for budgets also makes no sense. If the fear is that someday the Dems will be back in control of the presidency and senate, so what? It’s not like the ability to filibuster a budget would be of any value to the GOP in that instance anyway.
It’s almost as if... and this is totally cynical and probably totally unfounded... but it almost seems like both parties like the 60 vote requirement as an excuse to never actually have to pass a budget and rein in spending.