Democratic Solution to the Filibuster: Make Them Talk [View all]

[democrattotheend]

WASHINGTON -- The next time a minority of senators find something the majority supports to be objectionable, they may be required to take the Senate floor and explain just why they object. And when they're done with that, they'll have to keep talking, and talking, and talking.

The most persistent advice that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said he gets from liberals he meets across the country is as simple as it is frustrating: "Make them actually filibuster!"

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/15/democrats-filibuster-reform_n_2141382.html?utm_hp_ref=politics

I have been saying this for a while. Filibusters were designed to be a last resort, and should be reserved for occasions when a senator has such strong convictions that they are willing to talk until they collapse with no bathroom breaks.

The Senate changed the rules in the 1970's because talk-to-death filibusters were taking up too much time. But the unintended consequence was to make it so easy to filibuster that almost everything is now subject to one.

17 votes, 0 passes | Time left: Unlimited
	End the filibuster completely
	1 (6%)
	Change the rules back to require senators to actually talk a bill to death
	16 (94%)
	Keep the no-talk filibuster but lower the cloture number to 55
	0 (0%)
	Keep the filibuster as is - we may be back in the minority someday
	0 (0%)
	0 DU members did not wish to select any of the options provided.
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