Justices reject challenge to Senate filibuster rules

The Supreme Court on Monday rejected a challenge to the Senate’s filibuster rules from House Democrats.

The justices declined to revisit a lower court ruling that found the congressmen did not having legal standing to sue over the rules in the upper chamber.

{mosads}The Democratic congressmen —‪ Reps. John Lewis (Ga.), Keith Ellison (Minn.), Michael Michaud (Maine) and Hank Johnson (Ga.)‬ — joined with Common Cause in 2012 to file the legal challenge, arguing that the Senate’s requirement for 60 votes to break a filibuster runs counter to the constitutional idea of majority rule.

They filed the case against Vice President Biden, who acts as president of the Senate, as well as other Senate officials. A lower court said that they had sued the wrong parties.

While Senate Democrats voted last year to get rid of the 60-vote requirement to break a filibuster on most presidential appointees, the threshold remains in place for legislation.