Sen. Barbara Mikulski Goes After the Filibuster
I'm at the National Treasury Employees Union 2010 Legislative Conference, and Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., just launched a full-throated attack on the filibuster:
"I want to talk about the way the Senate has to clean up its act. Let me tell you, I am frustrated as hell at the United States Senate. And I'm mad as hell, and I don't want to take it any more. And why am I mad? Because it now takes 60 votes to get anything done. I thought in the United States, America should rule. Every single day, more gets said than gets done. And I know you're grumpy. Grumpy's a good day for me. WI'm part of a young group of Senators who want to change the filibuster rule. I think that is a dated rule from another century. This is the kind of rule that helped Jesse Helms when he tried to filibuster the civil rights bill."
Changing Congressional rules is hard, but it's interesting to see the health care fight build momentum for those changes.
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I can't think of a single piece of legislation that mikulsi has ever sponsored or that was ever enacted in law. She's too busy sitting in the dining room and eating
dan ketter Posted Tuesday, March 9, 2010 1:03 PMThere's certainly no danger of anyone ever mistaking her for someone with any historical or academic perspective on anything. Oh well, look at her audience...
Paul D. Posted Wednesday, March 10, 2010 6:56 AM"This is the kind of rule that helped Jesse Helms when he tried to filibuster the civil rights bill."
Babs, put down the ham sandwich and pick up a history book. On June 9, 1964, Republicans condemned a 14-hour filibuster against the 1964 Civil Rights Act by U.S. Senator and former Ku Klux Klansman Robert Byrd (D-WV). The Act passed with overwhelming support from Republicans and substantial resistance from Democrats.
EJC in ATL Posted Wednesday, March 10, 2010 8:20 AMMight not disagree with changing the filibuster rules but that should come right after term limits. Two or three terms and go get a real job where you have to live with the things implemented while you were in office.
Dennis4809 Posted Thursday, March 11, 2010 2:14 PM