It's finally starting to happen.
For almost a year now, the Senate Republicans have been successfully using the filibuster maneuver to avoid voting on key issues facing our nation. The House of Representative has been doing it's job in getting bills voted on but when the bills arrive at the Senate, they get sidelined by the Republican filibuster tactics.
Until now, the White House has done very little to stop this from happening. Instead, they have taken the approach of weakening bills to gain more support to overcome filibusters. Many Democrats and especially Progressives have criticized this approach because it makes genuine reform virtually impossible. Obama has been labeled an incrementalist mainly because of his willingness to weaken bills instead of taking on the Senate Republican leadership.
Well, as of today, it looks like the White House has decided to change it's strategy. Both President Obama and Vice President Biden have come out publicly with harsh criticisms directed at Senate Republican leadership. Progressives have been calling for this kind of action for months. Finally, it looks like the White House is moving on this incredibly important issue.
More below...
In his weekly address, Obama tells the nation that the Senate Republican leadership is hurting America by playing politics with the filibuster...
Also today, Joe Biden comes out swinging at the Senate republican leadership too...
My hope is that this is just the beginning. The White House really needs to slam Republicans on this. America deserves up or down votes on a lot of proposed bills. It is completely un-American that a group of 41 Republicans can hold America hostage the way it has been doing.
Kudos to the White House for finally taking some action on this problem. I think I speak for everyone at Daily Kos when I say we would definitely like to see more of this from our president.
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