I've been thinking about why everything comes to a halt in the Senate.
It isn't each of the individual rules that impede progress.
It is the overall tenor.
Everything about the Senate is designed to bring compromise so that twenty years from now, when Senator A(D) is still serving, and Senator B (R) is still serving, they can come together to produce inadequate compromise legislation, which won't burn bridges with Senator C (D) and Sentator D (R) whom they may wish to join in a compromising position ten years further into the future.
The solution is simple: Term Limits
The only problem is how to get to term limits with a Senate that has no interest in giving up their cushy positions.
The answer: another typically spineless piece of Senatorial Crap. We pressure the Senate to create term limits of 3 terms to all new members not yet elected, while grandfathering in all Senators currently in the Senate.
That means everyone voting now can be a Senator for as long as they live. Everyone not yet in can only be a Senator for as long as 18 years.
I think this legislation would appeal to the Senator's own self interest, but more importantly, after a period of about thirty years. It will restore the will of the People back to actually having an effect in the Senate.
It's not the 60 vote to override a filibuster.
It's not the overwhelming power of Committee Chairs.
It's not the silent veto that individual members have on new legislation.
It's not the six year terms.
It's the attitude.
It is human nature to see the old lions like Ted Kennedy, Robert Byrd, Dick Lugar, and Orrin Hatch and think "I can serve thirty years like these guys. I can have a long Senatorial Career and go in the History Books.
from the Wikipedia entry on the US Senate:
"As of June 30, 2009, 1 Senator is in his 90s, 3 are in their 80s, 19 are in their 70s, 36 are in their 60s, 32 are in their 50s, 9 are in their 40s, and 0 are in their 30s."
Think about that. Less than half of the Senate is 69 years eleven months or younger.
We see the effect this has in the Health Care Debate. They don't know people who don't have Health Care.
A link to the Wikipedia Seniority List for the US Senate:
http://en.wikipedia.org/...
there are currently 26 members of the Senate that have been there longer than 18 years.
THROW THE BUMS OUT!