Filibuster ‘Fixed,’ Opportunity Missed

Senators Harry Reid and Mitch McConnell agreed to some minor fixes to the infamous filibuster which has allowed Republicans to slow down and prevent the most inconsequential of Obama’s initiatives.

Much is said about Harry Reid being pugnacious and obdurate as his youthful boxing career trained him for.  Looks to me like he’s devoted himself to prolonged and repeated clinches instead.

Progressive senators working to dramatically alter Senate rules were defeated on Thursday, with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and his counterpart, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), set to announce a series of compromise reforms on the Senate floor that fall far short of the demands. The language of the deal was obtained by HuffPost and can be read here and here.

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 Fix the Senate Now, a coalition of over 50 progressive and labor organizations that has been tirelessly advocating for an end to the silent filibuster, called the emerging deal a “missed opportunity.”

“While the provisions included in the likely agreement may help with streamlining certain nominations, potentially a significant step forward, the agreement avoids measures that would actually raise the costs of Senate obstruction,” the group said in a statement. “Neither the talking filibuster provision nor the shifting the burden provision is expected to be included in the final package. While certain details remain important and unresolved, such as potential conditions attached to the elimination of filibusters on the motion to proceed, we know enough to sum up the agreement as follows: a missed opportunity to provide meaningful filibuster reform, while advancing some decent procedural improvements.”

Huffington Post