A national coalition of Christian leaders led by North Carolina's Dr. Rev. William Barber II is calling on Washington to end the filibuster. The group says defeating the tactic is a civil rights issue.
The filibuster is a maneuver to delay a vote, and with the Senate power about evenly divided, it's been a way for Republicans to threaten to derail legislation favored by the Biden Administration.
Many Democrats are pushing to get rid of the controversial tactic. Now Barber and the Poor People's Campaign he leads are lending a voice to the effort.
Barber says the filibuster protects the rich elite at the expense of everyday Americans.
“By supporting the filibuster, you are either an advocate or an enabler of systemic racism, voter suppression, greed, the denial of health care, and the denial of living wages,” he says.
Barber spoke along with leaders of other churches and organizations from across the country including Bishop Sir Walter Mack of Winston-Salem.