Schumer on ending filibuster: ‘Nothing’s off the table’

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer says he’s open to ending the rule that requires 60 votes for most legislation if Democrats take the Senate and White House in 2020.

Schumer’s comments on Tuesday are a boon to liberal activists who have called for that change. He told reporters that “nothing’s off the table” if Democrats can defeat President Donald Trump and win back power in 2020.

But the New York Democrat said that “our first step is to get back the majority” of the Senate, where Democrats currently control 47 votes to the GOP’s 53 votes.

It isn’t the first time Schumer has signaled that he would be open to ending the filibuster, which allows 41 senators to halt legislation if they vote as a bloc.