Posted on 07/09/2020 6:49:22 AM PDT by Magnatron
As legislative gridlock plagues the U.S. Senate and lawmakers -- not to mention their constituents -- are frustrated with how little seems to be getting done in Washington, some Senate Democrats are floating a possible change in the body's rules that could do away with the legislative filibuster, a guardrail that lets a minority of at least 40 senators prevent a bill from getting to a final vote.
But many of the Democrats who say they are open to the possible change signed a bipartisan letter in 2017 asking Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Majority Leader, Mitch McConnell R-Ky., to leave the legislative filibuster in place. The move also comes as Democrats prepare to potentially take control of the Senate and the presidency in November's election, and are concerned Republicans may use the rule to put up blanket resistance to a possible President Joe Biden's agenda.
Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., who did not sign the 2017 letter, has been floating proposals that would end the filibuster among colleagues, according to The Hill. A spokesperson for Merkley elaborated Wednesday in a statement to Fox News.
"When the Senate doesn’t debate or vote on the major issues facing America, it doesn’t serve anyone," the spokesperson said in a statement.
It continued: "Senator Merkley strongly believes that the path to fixing the broken Senate must include more opportunities for the minority to influence floor debate and require votes on their amendments. He is fighting to break the gridlock and ensure that all senators, not just the Majority Leader, get a say in the floor process."
The idea of dispensing with the filibuster is being considered by some who signed the 2017 letter, including Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., who co-authored it with Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
If Senators had to do what the rule requires -- stand up and talk until the other side bends or the Senator runs out of gas -- there would be no need to get rid of it.
That said, to Democrats at the moment, knowing that Trump will likely win (which is wholly driving this idea), it's the only way they can push their corrupt, racist, and destructive agenda.
The damnable Democrats are so predictable.
Great! That would make the quality of US Senate decisions about as good as those of your local school board.
It will be gone the next time the Dems control the Senate. In 2016 Reid said they should get rid of it in the next session. He was anticipating a Hillary President and Schumer as Majority leader.
In the long run it’s good to get rid of it, even if it takes a Democrat Senate.
McConnell would never think about getting rid of it of course. Just like he didn’t get rid of the judicial/cabinet filibusters when Bush was President. The Dems started it and then Reid ended it except for SCOTUS.
It was a small miracle when McConnell disposed of the SCOTUS filibuster when they tried to filibuster Gorsuch.
The Constitution mandates a simple majority. Getting rid of the filibuster is in line with the Constitution. The Republicans should have done it long ago.
As I understand, the whole idea behind the filibuster rule in the first place, was to allow for debate to continue, and allow everyone to have their say. The intention was NOT to block legislative action indefinitely.
A beneficial part of the filibuster rule could be to prevent legislation from being rammed through in the middle of the night, before people have read a 2000 page bill.
But the filibuster has evolved into a technique to stop legislation, and then everyone goes home and nothing happens. The original intention was to allow for debate to continue as long as people wanted, but then, legislation would proceed to a final vote. If the filibuster were done in that manner, it could be beneficial.
Republicans are even more so. They’re the pussies who clipped their own wings in 2017 when Scumbag Schumer asked them to.
The damnable Democrats are so predictable.
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The Republicans are predictable too. They can always be counted on to cave, appease and generally do nothing.
If that addle-brained idiot becomes President, the American public deserves what it gets. While there’s not much sand left in my hourglass, if fear deeply for my kids and grandkids.
Part of this story...goes back to the 1830s to 1850s...where speeches would be delivered deep into the night, and votes would often occur after midnight.
With the age of most Senators, it should be mandated that a session ends every evening by 8 PM, and if they need to run a session on Saturdays...fine.
Even if Biden get in, it will be like carter and Obama, the stink will be so bad, no jobs, $7 gas (or lines) that we will get a Regan to set things straight.
Instead of being caught between a rock and a hard place we’re between useless men and dangerous scum.
Filibuster -- keep it. Impeachment -- require a 2/3rds majority to BEGIN impeachment.
Where in the Constitution does it say that?
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