January 24th, 2011
08:49 PM ET
10 years ago
Aides: Senate leaders close to pact on filibuster reform
WASHINGTON (CNN) - Top Democratic and Republican senators, negotiating proposed reforms of the use of filibusters and other legislative stalling tactics, are close to an agreement on modest changes to curb the practices but not eliminate them altogether, two Senate aides told CNN.
Despite increased public attention to the often-controversial procedures, supporters of reform don't appear to have enough bipartisan support to force sweeping changes, the aides said. Much of the opposition to the changes comes from senior senators who have seen party control of the Senate switch several times and are wary about giving up the considerable rights available to the minority.
FULL STORY
From CNN Politics
- Progressive group launches $3.2 million advertising buy to push federal voting law March 23, 2021 11:01 am
- US and allies announce sanctions against Chinese officials for 'serious human rights abuses' against Uyghurs March 23, 2021 10:32 am
- Trump's army takes aim at 2022 touting his election lies March 23, 2021 05:01 am
- Why Republican voter restrictions are a race against time March 23, 2021 04:27 am
- Warnock's seat comes into focus amid battle over voting laws and filibuster rules March 23, 2021 03:06 am
- White House aides prep $3 trillion jobs package for Biden March 23, 2021 02:30 am
Changes are needed, the procedures do exist to help avoid a 'dictatorship of the majority' as I once heard to be called a situation were the minority had no tools nor ways to express their opnions and ideas in a so called 'democracy'.
The problem happens when the minority does not offers alternatives or justifiable reasons (other than raw politics, and not the country's interests) for the continuous use of them. Wether its a Republican or Democrat minority using them without justifiable reasons, just to stall and stop the 'government of the other guys', it is bad for the country.
So keep them, but disciplinate a little better their use.
If the Dem senators can't at least get rid of the anonymous hold, they should pack it in and go home; there's nothing they can get done as long as the Repubs refuse to play fair, and clearly that's never gonna happen.
The filibuster was intended to be a last act of desperation, not standard procedure. There have been more filibusters since the Republicans became the minority party in 2007 than in the entire history of the nation COMBINED. For 80 years we averaged about 3 per year. Lately it's been 70-100. This is gross obstruction and an abuse of the system.
How about we say 60 votes to override the first 10 filibusters of any given year. 59 to override the next 10, 58 for the next, etc? There will still be plenty of available filibusters for legitimate needs, and we wouldn't see Senators filibustering bills that they previously sponsored.
>senior senators
Ie worthless lifers who get a hard on by abusing the rules to give themselves far more power than the founding fathers intended. In fact the modern filibuster rules were put in by redneck southerners to block civil rights legislation. Still these power mad idiots are never going to limit their own power even for the good of the country.
shows how short sighted some of these politicians are.
Oh how far we have come......to fight all the wars and battles waged by those living and dead..mostly dead..the fat cats don't want to give up power...none of them. I support Obama but even he is bogged down by the cesspool of politics that is Washington...To come all this way only to be defeated by the same old battles of the old world..I guess you can't ever really escape the reality of the world.