HILL STAFF VIEWS: 80 Percent of Hill Aides Say Keep the Senate Filibuster

WASHINGTON, Nov. 25, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A new survey of senior congressional staff has revealed a remarkable and unexpected point of cross-party consensus: the Senate filibuster should be preserved.

The latest CNCT Capitol Pulse survey indicates that a supermajority of aides from both parties favor maintaining the long-standing legislative procedure. This consensus suggests a deeply ingrained, traditionalist view among senior staff regarding the Senate's institutional role as a deliberative body.

The survey findings are clear. A full 82 percent of Republican aides responding to the poll stated that the filibuster should be kept. In a striking display of agreement, 77 percent of responding Democratic aides concurred with that position.

This strong consensus among senior staff—the experienced professionals who advise legislators on policy and procedure—highlights a significant potential disconnect between the public-facing political battles over Senate rules and the private sentiments of those who manage the legislative branch's day-to-day operations.

This near-unanimity extended across gender lines, mirroring the party identification. Among Republican women aides, support for the filibuster was exceptionally high at 93 percent. Democratic women aides also showed overwhelming support, with 89 percent stating the procedure should be kept. This data indicates that support for the Senate's institutional norms is a widely held conviction among staffers.

While support for the filibuster was dominant, the survey did identify small pockets of opposition. The group expressing the most support for eliminating the filibuster was Democratic men, at 20 percent. Among Republican aides, the highest percentage in favor of ending the procedure came from GOP communications directors, at 17 percent. However, these figures remain clear outliers, reinforcing the survey's primary finding of broad institutional support.

The Senate filibuster is a procedural tool that allows a minority of senators to delay or block a vote on a measure or appointment. Under the Senate's current rules, a "cloture" motion is required to end debate on a given topic. To invoke cloture and move to a final vote, the Senate must secure a supermajority of 60 votes. This 60-vote threshold is the central mechanism of the modern filibuster, effectively meaning most major legislation requires some measure of bipartisan support to pass.

The CNCT survey results arrive as the filibuster remains a contentious public issue. Some Republican senators have expressed frustration over the Democratic minority's use of the 60-vote threshold, which was utilized 15 times to maintain the recent government shutdown.

Despite this frustration, other Republicans—and, as the survey shows, a majority of aides from both parties—warn against such a change. They caution that eliminating the 60-vote threshold would be a short-term tactical gain with severe long-term strategic consequences. A primary concern is that doing so would inevitably empower the opposing party to pass its own priority legislation with a simple majority when it regains control of the Senate.

This staff-level consensus underscores the traditional, institutionalist argument for the filibuster. Advocates frame it as a crucial feature, not a flaw, of the Senate's design, one that serves as a vital check against hasty, impassioned lawmaking. Proponents argue the 60-vote rule prevents the Senate from acting too quickly, forcing deeper consideration and more thorough debate on major proposals before they become law. From this perspective, the filibuster is an essential tool for preserving the Constitution's intended deliberative structure for the legislative branch.

About HillFaith: HillFaith is a project of the 52-Week Ministry Foundation, a tax-exempt non-profit that shares the Gospel of Jesus Christ with congressional aides, as well as individual mentoring, career advice, and advocacy on behalf of improved working conditions. Learn more about the organization on their website: https://www.hillfaith.org/

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Mark Tapscott
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