Widgetized Section
Go to Admin » Appearance » Widgets » and move Gabfire Widget: Social into that MastheadOverlay zone
Harry Reid Wants Input on Filibuster; let’s give it to him
(Update: Senators Reid and McConnell have agreed to postpone action on the filibuster until later this month. This not only gives us some time but makes it more imperative that we keep up the pressure. McConnell is a shrewd negotiator; he is also a snake. Reid and McConnell reached a gentlemen’s agreement on the filibuster in 2011 but McConnell did not keep his end of the deal. Remind Reid of this again and again and let him know we want reform.)
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who sounded a few weeks ago as though he was ready to do something about Congressional gridlock at least in his own domain, now appears to be wavering. A caller to the Stephanie Miller Show said he had spoken to Reid’s office this morning and was told that the Senator was not sure about bringing any of the suggested filibuster reform measures to the floor for a vote. The caller said he had the impression that more input from the public might make the difference in Reid’s decision.
I attempted to verify this but was repeatedly cut off when I opted to speak to a legislative aid. Apparently the phone lines are overloaded. I was however, able to leave a phone message urging an attempt to change the system.
Several reforms have been suggested by members of the Senate to stop the almost automatic requirement of 60 votes to even discuss let alone pass any legislation. Republicans have used the so-called “silent” filibuster to stop progress on hundreds of bills over the last four years. Doing this means that just the threat of an actual filibuster can stop even a floor debate of a proposed law. The simplest of these reforms would require a Senator to take the floor and actually conduct a filibuster ala Jimmy Stewart in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. This would mandate actual effort as well as putting the obstruction on public display.
If Senator Reid needs more input, let’s give it to him. There are only a few hours to act as any changes to Senate rules must be done in the opening hours of a new session. Senator Reid’s Washington office number is 202-224-3542 and option 2 will take you to voice mail. Option 1 leads to dead silence and ultimately a disconnect. He can be emailed from a page on his website at www.reid.senate.gov/conta…. You can also contact your own Senator, if unlike me, you are fortunate enough to have a reasonable Democratic one.
Related Posts :
Harry Reid is fed up and he's not going to take it anymore. Calling out Republicans for wasting six ...
Harry Reid Hrafnkell Haraldsson- Nice. Harry Reid has stood up for the American people by opposing Te ...
Rand Paul's promised filibuster of expanded background checks flopped today, as Harry Reid's bill sailed ...
Senate history may have been made today when Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) at ...
Old Mitch McConnell had a plan in his failed attempt to make Barack Obama a one-term president. He ...
25 Responses to Harry Reid Wants Input on Filibuster; let’s give it to him
Public Service Advertisements
Nicholas A. Mantas
Jan. 3rd, 2013 at 2:18 pm
It’s time to end this abomination that’s called filibuster! It serves only for obstruction no benefit whatsoever!
C.
Jan. 3rd, 2013 at 8:03 pm
I saw on the news tonight that new Senator King an Independent from Maine was put on a rules committee and filibuster was mentioned as something they wanted to work on. So it was a good thing we all spoke up on this.
ellen pierce
Jan. 3rd, 2013 at 2:34 pm
NOW is the time to end MINORITY rule in the Senate!! The Repubs time has come, they are OVER represented by the procedure to elect senators in the first place and giving them the EASY way to fillibuster adds more power to them.
Do not be afraid to take back what is right way to conduct business. Do not waiver because of their threats. They will shut you down NO MATTER if they do not get their way. Giving them the easy fillibuster is just another way they’ll hurt democracy and the country for their own (and billionaires and corporations) selfish end.
REID, stand up to get the business of America back to everyday Americans!
Shanadeen Begay
Jan. 3rd, 2013 at 2:38 pm
What do you think of this as a draft letter?
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid,
It is important to do something about Congressional gridlock. Republicans have used the so-called “silent” filibuster to stop progress on hundreds of bills over the last four years. Doing this means that just the threat of an actual filibuster can stop even a floor debate of a proposed law. The simplest of these reforms would require a Senator to take the floor and actually conduct a filibuster showing commitment to the filibuster in Washington. This would mandate actual effort as well as putting the obstruction on public display.
This is important to many people watching the legislative process, in an age where anyone can report, participate via the internet, or petition for change, it is important the common person has a new venue to judge the legislative process. This would allow such a process to begin for the common person and engage the common man with his representative in a new way that would require consideration from all those affected in an active and dynamic fashion.
Sincerely,
Shanadeen Begay
YellowDogYankee
Jan. 3rd, 2013 at 3:35 pm
You go girl!
Brian
Jan. 3rd, 2013 at 5:22 pm
You posted the wrong phone number.
“Senator Reid’s Washington office number is 202-224-3541″.
That is the wrong office.
Rebecca Tarpley
Jan. 3rd, 2013 at 2:50 pm
Called and emailed–let’s get this fixed!
Karen
Jan. 3rd, 2013 at 3:05 pm
If you filibuster — you’d better believe enough in it to stay in session and on your feet. The silent filibuster should be eliminated! Do it today while you can!
harris stein
Jan. 3rd, 2013 at 3:10 pm
Be careful what you wish for. I can’t remember exactly who said it, maybe a guy named Bob Dylan, but it goes something like this,
“For the loser now
Will be later to win
For the times they are a-changin’.”
“And the first one now
Will later be last
For the times they are a-changin’.”
www.lyricsfreak.com/b/bob...
Shiva (Moderator)
Jan. 3rd, 2013 at 3:28 pm
he also said
Gather round children wherever you roam, and realize the waters about you have grown
harris stein
Jan. 3rd, 2013 at 3:52 pm
What bothers me about this isn’t that the republicans in the senate are playing games with the rules, all politicians do that, but that the tea party extremists claimed that President Obama had a supermajority in the senate from 2009-2011 but failed to enact immigration reform or pass a budget. That is a bald faced lie that the republicans use to denigrate and disrepect the president and the institutions of government. Even with a clear win in the 2012 election and gains in the house and senate, the extremists still push their lies. Trying to change the rules in the senate while the republicans run the house for the next 2 years is a wate of time.
It is up to correct thinking people to continue to marginalize the tea party extremists. The way to do that is by moving forward with legislation that has a chance of passing and not wasting time. The president has already told the republicans in no uncertain terms that there won’t be any negotiations over the debt ceiling. If the republicans want to blow up the world economy and plunge every developed and developing country in the world into a full blown economic depression that would rival the 1930′s in scope they can go right ahead. I believe this should be the focus going forward.
Shiva (Moderator)
Jan. 3rd, 2013 at 4:06 pm
and quite frankly, no matter what the president did have or did not have back then, is not relevant to today. Not passing legislation or even considering legislation today because of something in the past as petty as that is extraordinarily stupid.
these are certainly people who came into the house with an agenda and absolutely no knowledge of what the house actually does. They just think they’re going to push something through and that’s it
C.
Jan. 3rd, 2013 at 4:10 pm
I think it’s wrong for either party to threaten silent filibuster, make them go on record and go through the effort. It’s a waste of time and effort to work on bills only to have them discarded and not discussed.
novenator
Jan. 3rd, 2013 at 4:02 pm
If Reid effs this up once again, it’s time he loses his leadership position in the Senate.
C.
Jan. 3rd, 2013 at 4:06 pm
Done! Thank you for the heads up.
Yes we Can!
R. Jimenez
Jan. 3rd, 2013 at 4:17 pm
I dialed this number and got Bob Ganem’s voice mail.
MIchael Barber
Jan. 3rd, 2013 at 4:18 pm
51 to bring legislation to the floor for a vote!
Ignia
Jan. 3rd, 2013 at 5:01 pm
That phone #- I think it may be wrong.
Went to “Bob Yagnum”s voicemail.
202-224-3541 is what I called.
YellowDogYankee
Jan. 3rd, 2013 at 5:06 pm
You are correct – it is 202 224-3542. I’m sorry, will try to get corrected.
lm945
Jan. 3rd, 2013 at 5:04 pm
Filibuster rules aren’t the only ones which need changing.
We need to get rid of silent holds.
How many times have we seen a bill or nomination put on hold, without knowing the who or the why?
No one person should have the power to shut down business.
If someone wants to place a hold on something, they must own it publicly, and explain their reasons. Reasons which must be related to the legislation or nominee in question, not payback for some petty childish grievance.
DAWN JOHNSON
Jan. 3rd, 2013 at 8:17 pm
I sent this:
Dear Senator Reid,
Please please please – FIX the filibuster rules! Let’s take it back to something that respects the original intent; to make sure that a minority party is heard, rather than that a minority party can hold the country HOSTAGE using the currently twisted understanding of the filibuster.
We, the American people, are badly in need of a Congress THAT WORKS. You can help us get that started with some changes to the filibuster rules.
Thank you for your time and attention,
Nikhilesh Agarwal
Jan. 3rd, 2013 at 9:14 pm
Dear Senator Reid:
Time to limit filibuster, I am not a scholar on Senate history. I suspect there is some valid use for it. It has become degraded, however, lately. You will be in a fool’s world to think it will be there when you are no longer in majority. They will then take it away. How can you be sure? Limit it please now.
Thanks,
nikhilesh
mediabeing
Jan. 4th, 2013 at 10:42 am
Be advised that there are very easy to set up online PETITIONS. Do that, next time.
I sign petitions. I don’t jump through hoops well.
Kenfolk
Jan. 5th, 2013 at 1:13 pm
The need to make it a “talking filibuster” is necessary but not sufficient. We should support Senator Tom Harkin’s proposal to have a declining majority to invoke cloture. This permits the minority the opportunity to speak at length but prevents minority rule (which is what we have now, and would still have if the only reform is ending the “talking filibuster”.)
Wayne A. Schneider
Jan. 5th, 2013 at 7:45 pm
I thought rule changes in the Senate had to be the very first thing they did in order to pass them with a simple majority or else they would need a two-thirds vote to pass, which they won’t get.
If Reid postpones this and begins the 113th Congress under the old rules, it will be even harder to change them later. That was the whole point of us trying to make them change the rules the first day.