Gapers Block has ceased publication.

Gapers Block published from April 22, 2003 to Jan. 1, 2016. The site will remain up in archive form. Please visit Third Coast Review, a new site by several GB alumni.
 Thank you for your readership and contributions. 

TODAY

Thursday, March 28

Gapers Block
Search

Gapers Block on Facebook Gapers Block on Flickr Gapers Block on Twitter The Gapers Block Tumblr


The Mechanics
« A Bad Year for Teachers, a Bad Year for Public Education Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Attacks BPA »

IL-SEN Fri Feb 12 2010

Durbin Takes On The Filibuster

Senator Durbin has jumped on the reform-the-filibuster bandwagon. According to Greg Sargent:

The Harkin proposal would officially amend the process by which a filibuster is broken, allowing a four-step process that could eventually allow it to be broken by a majority vote. The first vote would require 60 votes to break the filibuster, followed by motions requiring 57, 54, and finally, 51 votes.

The key is that Durbin is apparently playing an active role in backing the Harkin effort. A senior leadership aide tells me Durbin is "in talks with a number of other Democratic senators regarding possible changes to Senate rules."

Sargent notes out a few important points. One is that Durbin's support gives the Amendment a great deal more gravity. Another is that the Amendment will probably still fail since it requires 67 votes and no party has an easy time to getting 60 senators to vote on anything these days. What's important though (which Sargent also mentions) is that Harkin and Durbin are trying at all because it calls to attention how really horrible the filibuster is.

I'm all for compromise and agreement but the filibuster as it is now doesn't do that. Instead, it gives the minority a great deal of influence over a bill that the majority wants. If there are 58 senators voting for something and the other 42 are against it that bill will see significant revisions before it passes at all. That, of course, comes after the interparty compromises that take place so that all the liberals and conservatives of either party are on board. Clearly the filibuster needs to go.

 
GB store

TheSquire / February 13, 2010 2:05 PM

OR they could introduce the new filibuster rules at the start of the next session of congress, when the rules for the session are voted in. As the filibuster exists only in the rules of the senate, voting in the changed rules would require a simple majority of 51. I'm amazed they didn't do it when the most recent session started in January.

Daniel / February 13, 2010 9:09 PM

I wasn't aware that was possible. It reinforces my opinion that the real obstruction to abolishing the filibuster doesn't come from just Republicans, it's Democrats too. Members of both parties want it to stay because they know that one day they'll be in the minority again and really need it.

GB store

Feature

Parents Still Steaming, but About More Than Just Boilers

By Phil Huckelberry / 2 Comments

It's now been 11 days since the carbon monoxide leak which sent over 80 Prussing Elementary School students and staff to the hospital. While officials from Chicago Public Schools have partially answered some questions, and CPS CEO Forrest Claypool has informed that he will be visiting the school to field more questions on Nov. 16, many parents remain irate at the CPS response to date. More...

Civics

Substance, Not Style, the Source of Rahm's Woes

By Ramsin Canon / 2 Comments

It's not surprising that some of Mayor Emanuel's sympathizers and supporters are confusing people's substantive disputes with the mayor as the effect of poor marketing on his part. It's exactly this insular worldview that has gotten the mayor in hot... More...

Special Series

Classroom Mechanics Oral History Project
GB store



About Mechanics

Mechanics is the politics section of Gapers Block, reflecting the diversity of viewpoints and beliefs of Chicagoans and Illinoisans. More...
Please see our submission guidelines.

Editor: Mike Ewing, mike@gapersblock.com
Mechanics staff inbox: mechanics@gapersblock.com

Archives

 

 Subscribe in a reader.

GB store

GB Store

GB Buttons $1.50

GB T-Shirt $12

I ✶ Chi T-Shirts $15