Received this e-mail today from Senator Mark Udall (D. CO) regarding fixing the filibuster:
Imagine that, in the last two years, the U.S. Senate passed legislation to:
expand background checks on gun sales to help keep our families safe
force corporations and special interest groups to reveal the donors
anonymously funding our elections since the 2010
Citizens United Supreme Court ruling
create hundreds of thousands of jobs while rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure
cut taxes for small business owners to create more jobs and grow the economy
launch a cutting-edge cyber-defense training program at the U.S. Air Force
Academy here in Colorado
This alternate universe isn’t as far removed from reality as you may think. It had just one thing standing in its way: filibuster abuse.
Each of these common-sense proposals had the majority support of the U.S. Senate and the American public — yet each bill was denied an up or down vote due to a Republican filibuster.
This paralysis has got to stop. Please sign my petition to call for the reform of filibuster rules and to ease partisan gridlock:
http://www.markudall.com/...
Just to be clear — I support the responsible use of a filibuster as a tool for the minority to have its voice heard. But when a handful of individuals repeatedly block important solutions to our nation’s problems, I get frustrated. There’s a difference between a legislative objection and partisan obstruction.
A small minority shouldn’t keep Congress from doing the work of the American people. Will you join me in calling for common-sense filibuster reform?
http://www.markudall.com/...
Currently, a single senator can stall an entire bill or presidential appointment without saying one word on the Senate floor. This “silent filibuster” has been abused at record levels to prevent Congress from even passing bipartisan legislation and needs to be stopped.
We also need to change the rules to cut back on the number of filibusters that can be perpetrated against each bill. Under the current rules, even if the Senate has 60 votes to pass common-sense legislation, senators who want to keep Congress from solving problems can still tie the Senate in procedural knots for weeks. This isn't what Americans sent us to Washington to do, and it has to end.
If you agree this needs to change, please sign my petition now:
http://www.markudall.com/...
Thanks for fighting alongside me,
Mark
You can sign Udall's petition here:
http://www.markudall.com/...