HILL STAFF VIEWS: Filibuster Gets Big Boost From Congressional Aides

Of all the procedural issues that occasionally take a prominent place in the American public policy debate, the most important is quite possibly the Senate filibuster.

Folks on the Left tend to favor abolishing the filibuster as an obstacle to genuine democratic mandates, while those of the Right see the filibuster as one of the essential protections of minority rights and an incentive for legislative compromise and civility.

So how do congressional aides view this issue? According to the latest CNCT Capitol Pulse survey, it appears huge majorities favor keeping the filibuster. Fully 95 percent of the GOP staffers voted for the filibuster, compared to just 34 percent among the Democrats.

But check out the responses by staff specializations. Among communications staffers, 67 percent support the filibuster, as do 83 percent of the policy staffers. By chamber, the positive responses were 80 percent for Senate staffers and 70 percent of those on the House side.

As always, remember that the CNCT Capitol Pulse survey is an informal, non-scientific exercise, but it certainly provides a glimpse into how many congressional aides of all stripes view issues of importance and public interest.