Senator Harry Reid, 2009
Finally. The Republicans have tried to rule the country from the minority for years now. Filibustering routinely. Stopping nominations of folks they had previously praised simply to gum up the works. These extremists have forced this move through absolute and unabashed obstructionism. How dare a strongarm politician like McConnell call this a "power grab." The Senate will work better. Our government can function.
From Robert Reich --
Turns out Harry Reid knows the only way to deal with bullies is to fight back. Not only did he refuse to compromise with Republicans who threatened to default on the nation’s debt if they didn’t get their way. He’s now led the Democrats to eliminate filibusters for most presidential nominations. The rule change (accomplished by a 51-vote majority vote today) means that federal judge nominees and executive-office appointments can now be confirmed by a simple majority of senators, rather than the 60-vote super-majority that has been required for more than two centuries. (The rule change doesn't apply to Supreme Court nominees.) Republicans brought on this rule change by abusing the process – refusing to confirm almost every judge Obama has nominated, including his last four nominees to the all-important District of Columbia Circuit, on pure political grounds rather than on merit. Republican extremism can not be allowed to destroy our democracy. Today, Reid and the Democrats struck back.
Wow. I got comments on this one (one commenter removed his comments)---
Dawn N Luke Andrews
What goes around comes around. Reid squawked about this option a few years ago, but, in true hypocrite fashion, he employs the tactic in his own favor. If the American people ever wake up to the blatant deception and dishonesty of the current power structure in Washington, they will throw all these bastards out who are destroying our once great nation.
Terrell Shaw
Reid was given no choice by the extremist senators on your side of the aisle Luke.
Dawn N Luke Andrews
BS...plain and simple. Reid is having a psuedoorgasm right now I'm sure....he's been looking for an excuse to do this...he is pathetic and makes me sick quite frankly
Terrell Shaw
Take a breath Luke. Please keep it civil here.
Dawn N Luke Andrews
Someone else thought it was a bad idea a few years ago....my my....the hypocrisy is damning....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GhSKywjnqc...
Terrell Shaw
It is a terrible idea, but when the extremists on the right use the filibuster routinely, breaking with two hundred years of precedent to paralyze the government, there is no alternative.
Actually I should rephrase. As a small-r republican, I have always been troubled by the extreme power the filibuster gives a single person, who could be one of those elected from one of several states with populations smaller than Cobb County Georgia. But IF it is a real "stand-on-the-floor-till-you-drop-Mr-Smith" filibuster, I have a certain respect for it. But the recent filibuster rules make it a blatantly anti-small-r-republican tactic.
Dawn N Luke Andrews
This move is a usurpation, plain and simple
Terrell Shaw
If so, this "usurpation" has my full support.
Neal Brackett
So this has been done since 1789, and suddenly it is bad... kind of on the same level as public prayer...
Terrell Shaw
The filibuster in the Senate became possible in 1806. It was never actually used till 1837. It was used only rarely until recent years. I remember some long filibusters in the fifties and sixties, sometimes over very hot issues like civil rights. Wayne Morse and Strom Thurmand are the champs at the tactic that I vaguely remember. Of course in those days it required the guy with the wad in his panties to actually stand in the well and keep talking to postpone action. Then, in recent years, both Democrats and Republicans have escalated the problem by making it much easier to filibuster a bill. But McConnell and the GOP have set all kinds of new records the last five years, virtually bringing the government to a standstill. Refusing to approve even nominees they themselves admit are qualified, simply as a way of stymying their political opponents.
As I understand it, the filibuster still stands in the Senate for everything except nominations.
Chandler Gray
(Biting my tongue, Oh Revered One)
Terrell Shaw
You may speak, young wet-behind-the-ears-kid!
Chandler Gray
I shan't Sir, I shan't.
Terrell Shaw
Approximately half of the filibusters of my lifetime have occured in the last five years. That is the extent of the abuse of the filibuster power under McConnell's obstructionist leadership of the minority. I ain't ten.
Neal Brackett
What are the Democrats getting ready to ram through that they are afraid of the Fillibuster?. The Republican's have confirmed 99% of his appointees...
Laurie Craw
A majority is half-plus-one. But wait until Republicans get through spinning this. They'll have us all thinking Democrats have violated the Constitution and "taken away our rights." I expect to hear, "They rammed this down our throats like they did Obamacare." They will call for the impeachment of Harry Reid. The words "dictatorship" and "government takeover" will be thrown around. And sadly, a lot of voters will remember their deceitful rhetoric at election time. Democrats need to be ready today to counteract that rhetoric tomorrow.
Terrell Shaw
Oh, the right is already apoplectic, Laurie, if not downright apocalyptic. I've read several responses from folks on the right who now have further evidence that America is no more. Nevermind that filibuster was rare until the 1900s, unusual then until it was expanded to the easy "silent" filibuster, and NEVER used in the unrestrained way it has crippled government during the last five years -- basically giving an extra-constitutional veto to the senate minority. I feel safe in asserting: though the founders were glad to impede "mob rule," crippling government is not what the founders intended. The GOP filibuster abuse had crippled our government.
Terrell Shaw
No one is silenced by this, Wayne. And the voice of the voters is strengthened. Mr. Cruz can have his equal time to squawk as he likes, but he won't be able to, alone, stymie the will of the majority. We are more of a Republic than we were on Wednesday. The Senate has gained more deliberation rather than losing it in this change.
Raymond Atkins
Let the apopolexy begin. Karma can be a real bear, sometimes.
Jackson Williamson
I think you accidentally a word there, Wayne.
Laurie Craw
Another part of the former "silent filibuster" that concerned me was the fact that no Senator had to go on record "Yea" or "Nay" in a floor vote. Just the threat of the filibuster was enough to keep the vote from being taken and we had no way of knowing who was blocking the nominee. The same is happening in the House when the Speaker refuses to allow a floor vote until he lines up enough supporters of the bill to pass the bill. "How did my representative vote?" is always vital information to voters in subsequent elections but without a vote, we don't have that record to go on.
Terrell Shaw
Wayne, "belligerant bullies"? What do you call those who refuse to allow the president his appointees, not because they think them unqualified, but simply to obstruct his programs. !68 filibusters of appointees, 62 during the last five years. The real bullies, McConnell & Co, gave us no choice. We left in place legislative filibusters and Supreme Court filibusters but IF the GOP continues to be unreasonable I hope the Senate will do away with those filibusters too.
Terrell Shaw
Beg pardon? "Voting down" is rarely done, instead good folks are held up for months on end and our courts and executive offices are crippled by way of uncertain staffing. Taranto, for example, was held up for something like 17 months, then passed unanimously. The whole thing was only an effort to hinder this president.
Terrell Shaw
Wayne, seriously, do you not agree that out government cannot function in a reasonable manner if we give an extra-constitutional veto to the Senate minority leader? With split government, the house already operates as a serious brake on any wild ideas we Democrats come up with. If the GOP had been willing to use the filibuster in a semi-reasonable fashion it would have lasted a lot longer. Though I suspect it was doomed in the long-run anyway.
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