Actually, I think an important problem is the death of the true filibuster. I think if someone wants to hold up a piece of legislation from a vote, they should have the guts to stand up and defend their views for a good long time. Also, perhaps there should be a maximum that anyone in politics can spend, so more time can be spent on actually legislating. Members of the House have it even worse as they get voted every two years, and not every 6 like Senators.
The words of Mark Twain come to mind iirc. Neither life nor property is secure while the legislature is in session.