The Times had a great editorial advocating for common sense filibuster reform. The key paragraph is below:
That would squander a moment for change. Supermajorities were never intended to be a routine legislative barrier; they should be reserved for the most momentous bills, and the best way to make that happen is to require that objectors work hard for their filibuster, assembling a like-minded coalition and being forthright about their concerns rather than hiding in the shadows or holding up a bill with an e-mailed note.
It is time, as Lincoln argues in Speilbergs great film-to act ‘NOW!’. We have a small window to ensure the Senate can be an efficient body that cannot be held hostage by a small minority of its members. The Senate is supposed to be the more deliberative house that moderates and cools the haughty tempers of the House of Representatives. The filibuster enables this deliberation and should be linked to important measures and articulated by coalition building members who forcefully argue and debate their positions-not putting on silent holds or stating ‘filibuster’ and then having a cloture vote. This would end the gridlock and enable us to pass progressive legislation in the short term while preserving our right to speak forecfully against regressive justices, nominees, and policies in the future if we are in the minority. But it ends the abuse on all sides. Time to proceeed Mr. Reid!
Discuss
12 Comments . Leave a comment below.When I said
that was a figure of speech. Obviously the GOP is solely responsible for this nearly three year impasse in the Senate.
I got these from an email from Sen. Jeff Merkley:
Web petition: FixTheFilibuster
Facebook: Facebook FixTheFilibuster
Given that time is of the essence, BMG can really help make this happen by front-paging this diary.
…do we hear that Reid is negotiating with McConnell? For once can’t he say to the GOP, “We’re the majority so sit down and shut up.”?
I don’t think the media had done its job in spelling out the cost of Republican’s use of the filibuster.
Canvassing for EW I often talked about Scott Brown’s participation in the filibuster to keep The Fair Pay Act from coming to floor of the Senate for discussion or vote and same thing for the Disclose Act. The latter is something the vast majority of Americans want and the reason we don’t have it? Filibuster.
A shocking Republican use of the filibuster is to block judicial nominees because the NRA tells them to do it. Here’s Linda Greenhouse’s column on it:
Also, Bill Moyers had a great segment on this: http://billmoyers.com/segment/larry-cohen-on-eliminating-the-silent-filibuster/
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/26/the-n-r-a-at-the-bench/
Senator Kerry still has not come out in support of Senate Resolution 4, the real reform package put forth by Sen. Merkley and Harkin. He is running out of time to get on board. Vote on reform will likely be sometime next week. Be sure to send him an email, phone his office, and tweet him to cosponsor Res. 4.
Hey @JohnKerry, Please take a minute to co-sponsor Senate Resolution 4, Senate rules reform legislation. #fixtheSenate
http://fixthesenatenow.org/pages/tell-your-senators-back-senate-resolution-4#.UP_usB1lHwM
n/m
Reid puts his weight behind the use of the constitutional option for filibuster reform. The vote on reform could be by the end of the week, click here. This is a big development because up until this point it seemed unlikely that Reid would pursue the constitutional option.
Make sure Senator Kerry is on board!
I like the 41 vote to maintain a filibuster rather than the 60 to break one, I’d also eliminate cloture votes as they are redundent, and I’d force them at the beggining of the debate. Id merge these ideas with a talking filibuster. My gut is McConnell may go for the 41.
It sounds like we have once again bent sent away without even half a loaf. From the limited coverage provided by the media (the Globe falls short again), my read is that Mr. Reid punted rather than insist on a talking filibuster.
With friends like Mr. Reid, who needs enemies?
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Wed 19 Jun 1:26 AM