| The petition reads: |
| "I am writing today to ask that you support a strong package of reforms to the filibuster, including a requirement that senators have to speak on the Senate floor in order to filibuster, and oppose the McCain/Levin proposal that would not help end the dysfunction in the Senate." |
| Automatically add your name: |
 The filibuster is one of the biggest barriers to progress in our country. |
This antiquated provision in Senate procedure has
given a minority of right-wing senators the ability to paralyze the Senate.
It's the reason there was no public option in health
care reform, financial reform didn't end "too big to fail," and the DREAM Act
never made it to the Senate floor.
Every two years there's an opportunity to reform the
filibuster by a majority vote at the beginning of a new Congress.
The next chance to do so will come up in a few
weeks, but if we miss this opportunity we will not have a chance to fix the
filibuster until 2014.
The filibuster of "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" no
longer exists.
Today's filibuster doesn't require opponents of a
bill to make their case on the Senate floor. Instead filibusters now require
very little time or effort, which has led to widespread abuse by the
conservative minority.
While filibusters used to be extremely rare,
right-wing senators are now routinely stopping bills and nominees that a
majority favors.
Two years ago, there was movement to fix the
filibuster until Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid cut a bad deal with Minority
Leader Mitch McConnell that killed the reform effort.
We can't allow the Senate to once again take a
pass on meaningful reform of the filibuster. We simply cannot afford another two
years of Senate paralysis and dysfunction.
So this time around, we're working to create momentum
behind a strong package of reforms championed by Sen. Jeff Merkley, including
the "talking filibuster" which requires senators to speak on the Senate floor in
order to continue debate and prevent a vote.
Unfortunately a bipartisan group of more conservative
senators have announced a much weaker proposal (called the McCain/Levin
proposal) that would not fix the Senate's dysfunction but could have the effect
of scuttling the meaningful filibuster reform. And in some ways the McCain/Levin
proposal could be worse than the status quo.
We need to speak out and make sure the Senate
confronts this issue head on and passes a strong reform package that includes
the "talking filibuster."
Abuse of the filibuster has reduced the Senate to an
arena where petty political posturing and the casual and callous disregard for
the crises we face as a country can bring the business of the legislative branch
of our government to a grinding halt.
In a few weeks, the Senate will be able to change the
filibuster rules with a simple majority vote.
We need to speak out now to make sure that Democrats
lead with a strong package of reforms that includes the "talking filibuster,"
and don't fall prey to the weaker bipartisan proposal which will effectively
kill our efforts to actually fix the filibuster.
Click the link below to automatically sign the petition:
http://act.credoaction.com/r/?r=6994756&p=filibuster_reform_2013&id=52909-3026155-mmVz%3D1x&t=5
Thank you for all you do.
"Democracy...is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to
have for lunch"!
Liberty...is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote.
Liberty...is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote.
Fiat Lux
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