Dear Sharon,
The unprecedented obstructionism in the Senate today forces a rethinking and modernization of the filibuster rule.
If you're as fed up with the filibuster as I am, please sign my petition to fix it today.
It's time to end the filibuster as we know it.
The American people are sick of process blocking progress. They're fed up with an arbitrary tradition that allows a minority of Senators to prevent popular, much-needed legislation from even coming to a vote. They're exasperated with Republicans' veiled attempts to kill meaningful reform -- pleas for "more time" and "starting from scratch" -- which were on full display at yesterday's White House health care summit.
Frankly, so am I.
Sign my petition at
http://www.FedUpWithTheFilibuster.com today -- and show your support for filibuster reform, such as the Harkin-Shaheen proposal, to eliminate the crippling 60-vote requirement to overcome a filibuster.
From the public option to financial reform, a few dozen Senate Republicans have used the threat of a filibuster dozens and dozens of times, blocking much of the sweeping change voters demanded when they elected President Obama and strong Democratic majorities to Congress. The right-wing obstructionists consistently misuse and abuse the filibuster simply to score political points, at the expense of the American people.
The Harkin-Shaheen proposal would continue to provide ample time for a minority of Senators to voice their concerns about legislation and seek changes. But it would eliminate the permanent 60-vote cloture requirement to overcome a filibuster, gradually reducing the necessary vote threshold as debate continues, preventing the minority from using the procedural tactic to obstruct progress indefinitely.
Commonsense proposals like this would allow a simple majority of Senators to end an obstructionist filibuster if it has dragged on for several days or weeks. And they would allow Congress to get back into the business of sending popular, much-needed legislation -- like a strong health care reform bill -- to the President's desk.
Sign my online petition today -- and show your support for the Harkin-Shaheen proposal or similar proposals to eliminate the crippling 60-vote requirement to overcome a filibuster.
Changing the filibuster is no pipe dream. In fact, back in the 1970s the Senate successfully amended what was a 67-vote cloture requirement to the current 60-vote requirement.
But the unprecedented obstructionism we find in the Senate today forces another rethinking and modernization of the filibuster rule.
By letting your Senators know you're as fed up with the filibuster as I am, we can change it, once more.
When our Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution and drafted the initial rules of the Senate, they never intended requiring a supermajority to pass any and all legislation. They just wanted to be sure that Senators took time to carefully debate and consider bills before taking votes. That's exactly what reforms like the Harkin-Shaheen proposal will do.
We cannot continue to allow a minority of Senators to paralyze progress. Together we can restore majority rule and make Congress work for the American people again.
Sincerely,
Dick Durbin
U.S. Senator
P.S. After you've signed the petition, please forward this email to everyone you know. It's time to step up, speak out, and fix the filibuster -- once and for all.
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
