Forum Post: YOU can help end the filibuster!
Posted 12 years ago on Nov. 12, 2012, 8:13 a.m. EST by bensdad
(8977)
This content is user submitted and not an official statement
Ok. The election is over. The Democrats got a large majority of electors, a strong majority of the popular vote, more House members and more Senate members.
Occupy must acknowledge that the most powerful tool for progress is political power.
Hopefully our “new” President will be much stronger on liberal / progressive issues.
Clearly, we missed this opportunity to chuck most of the tea potty detritus so the House is still controlled by the koch-norquist-tea potty cabal.
In the Senate, any progressive move to pass a constitutional amendment, or to get money out of politics will be blocked by the filibuster
But NOW – today – we have an opportunity to help the United States Senate
enact liberal / progressive legislation – by urging our Democratic Senators to terminate the filibuster TODAY. And we must act NOW.
PLEASE see the details on our OWS working group page
http:/corporationsarenotpeople.webutda.com
click on DOCUMENTS
then scroll down to document 29 and click on the red text
YOU can help end the filibuster
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Those who can – DO
Those who can’t – KVETCH
DO LEARN – the senate rules
The filibuster was created in he 1850s as a method to ensure that the Senate majority did not suppress the minority. The Constitution [A1 S5] specifically states “each house may determine the rules if its proceedings”. At the beginning of each session in January, the Senate, BY MAJORITY vote sets its own rules. Including the rules for the filibuster and cloture [ the way to halt a filibuster ].
DO UNDERSTAND – the filibuster & cloture
Originally, one senator or a group of senators could stand and speak on any subject for any length of time – to delay a conclusive vote that they knew they would lose – essentially blackmailing the entire senate - by a minority on an issue. Filibustering completely stops all other senate business. The only way to halt a filibuster is with a “cloture” vote. If 3/5 of the senate [ 60 ] vote for cloture – this ends the filibuster. Or the majority has to give in to the minority if the Senate is to transact any other business = minority rules. The longest filibuster was by a conservative segregationist minority for 57 days in 1964.
A few years ago, the senate agreed that if a filibuster was threatened by any senator and it was known that 60 votes were not there to “cloture” it, that the majority would concede to the minority – without actually forcing the minority to perform, and the Senate’s other business would not be delayed.
This means that if 58 senators are in favor of a bill, and 1 senator threatens a filibuster, and 41 senators will NOT vote for cloture, then the minority rules and the bill fails! [ 58 loses and 42 wins ] . Yes – that’s really how it works!
DO BE OUTRAGED
In January 2009, Republicans Eric Cantor (Va.), Kevin McCarthy (Calif.), Paul Ryan (Wis.), Pete Sessions (Texas), Jeb Hensarling (Texas), Pete Hoekstra (Mich.) Dan Lungren (Calif.), Jim DeMint (S.C.), Jon Kyl (Ariz.), Tom Coburn (Okla.), John Ensign (Nev.) Bob Corker (Tenn.). Newt Gingrich, Frank Luntz met to vow that they would do everything in their power to block ANYTHING Barack Obama tried to do to help Americans. An historic, quintessential “party first” attack. Keep Guantanamo open. Don’t tax the 1%. Block jobs for veterans. There are dozens of Obama bills that have been blocked by nothing more than this anti-American conspiracy that borders on treason. Like the lies and abuse of voter suppression and super-pac money, the filibuster has been abused by the Republican party to achieve the goals that they could not attain for their 1% masters with honest, fair democracy.
DO SEE WHAT THE FILIBUSTER / CLOTURE VOTE NUMBERS PROVE
2011-12 109
2009-10 137
2007-08 139
2005-06 68
2003-04 62
2001-02 71
AND – FINALLY – DO NOT KVETCH - DO
The new senate rules will be set by the senators very soon ( January ) and there is something you can DO
If you feel that this minority conspiracy must not be allowed to use this anti-democratic blackmail to control the United States Senate and block our progressive movement, write, call or email to end the filibuster blockade by changing the Senate rules in January.
There are many possible solutions. Eliminate the filibuster or change to cloture percent to 50% are just two possibilities. Besides YOUR senators the key senators to contact are
Harry Reid [NV] http://www.reid.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm
522 Hart Senate Office Bldg Washington, DC 20510 202-224-3542
Jeff Merkley [OR] http://www.merkley.senate.gov//contact/
313 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C., 20510 202 224-3753
Mark Udall [CO] http://www.markudall.senate.gov/?p=contact
328 Hart Office Building Suite, Washington, D.C. 20510 202-224-5941
Keep in mind that senators pay attention to voters in their own states
Contact them ALL! To achieve this goal, whitepages.com is very helpful