Senator Mike Lee Explains How the MAGA Agenda Can Be Passed in Congress [WATCH]

Senator Mike Lee said Republicans in the Senate could pass significantly more legislation if they stopped what he described as cloture abuse and returned to enforcing existing Senate rules that allow for extended debate followed by a simple majority vote.

In a statement addressing Senate procedure, Lee said the current approach has resulted in what he called a “perpetual tail chasing model,” even when Republicans hold unified control of government.

He said the insistence on reaching a 60-vote threshold has unnecessarily limited what the party can accomplish.

“The point is this, if we enforce the cloture rule, we could end cloture abuse, and we could end this perpetual tail chasing model in which, even when Republicans control the Senate and the House and the White House, as we currently do, we just take all sorts of things off the table,” Lee said.

Lee said Republicans frequently declare major policy goals unattainable because they lack the votes to overcome cloture, even though Senate rules provide alternative paths. He said this approach has become routine rather than the exception.

“We can’t accomplish this. We can’t accomplish that. Why? Well, because we don’t have 60 votes,” Lee said.

According to Lee, the Senate already has rules that allow the majority to force extended debate, ultimately leading to a vote once senators are no longer able to continue speaking. He said enforcing those rules would shift leverage back to the majority.

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“There are other ways that break through this,” Lee said. “You enforce the rules by requiring them to debate.”

Lee explained that Senate rules place limits on how often a senator may speak on the same legislative matter during a legislative day.

He said once those limits are reached, or once senators are physically unable to continue debating, the presiding officer can call for a vote.

“Then the minute they stop debating, either because you’ve physically exhausted them, or because they have exhausted their right to continue speaking,” Lee said, “you can call the vote.”

Lee said the rules governing debate include limits on the number of times a senator may speak on the same issue, and once those limits are reached, the Senate is no longer required to continue debate.

“We have a number of rules about that, including you can only speak twice on the same legislative day on the same discreet legislative matter,” Lee said.

Once debate ends under those conditions, Lee said the Senate can proceed to a vote that requires only a simple majority, rather than the 60 votes typically needed to invoke cloture.

“If they have exhausted either themselves physically or their right to speak that moment, you can call the vote, and that vote is cast as simple majority threshold,” Lee said.

Lee argued that using this process would allow Republicans to advance and pass more legislation without changing Senate rules.

He said the problem is not the rules themselves, but the failure to use them.

“And you can get a lot passed,” Lee said.

Lee said Republicans have moved away from enforcing these rules and have instead accepted procedural gridlock as unavoidable.

He said that decision has limited legislative output even when the party controls both chambers of Congress and the White House.

“We haven’t been doing that,” Lee said.

“We need to get back into that business.”

WATCH:

🚨 BREAKING: Sen. Mike Lee is saying if the Senate GOP gets tough and enforces EXISTING Senate rules, the MAGA agenda can be passed with a simple majority of 51 votes

“If we enforce the cloture rule, we can end the cloture abuse! [60 votes for cloture]”

“Require them to debate.… pic.twitter.com/RQm4SDF1at

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) December 19, 2025