On Monday, Sen. Dianne Feinstein joined the growing list of Democratic members of Congress calling for the elimination of the filibuster in order to pass the For the People Act.
A Jane Mayer New Yorker article highlights leaked audio from a January call between strategists from the Koch brothers’ network and a Senate aide of Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, revealing that they intend to rely on the filibuster to block the popular For the People Act.
During his first official press conference as chief executive, President Joe Biden answered numerous questions on the filibuster, and continued to state that it cannot stand in the way of Democrats’ policy agenda.
Today, the Senate held its first hearing on S.1, the For The People Act. This historic legislation would protect, defend, and expand voting rights and make necessary electoral and democratic reforms across the country.
Today during a press conference, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell responded to a question from Spectrum Congressional Reporter Eva McKend about the filibuster and its history by saying “Actually, historians do not agree..."
Today, Fix Our Senate announced a new six figure, nationwide ad buy that will feature a 30 second video ad, as well as graphics that will run on national and local news homepages.
A poll commissioned by Fix Our Senate and conducted by Global Strategy Group found that 43% of registered voters in West Virginia see the filibuster as a way to create more gridlock.
Unless Democrats take steps to reform or eliminate the filibuster, McConnell can use this obstructionist weapon to block the For the People Act
President Biden’s legislative ambitions face a crucial test in the narrowly divided Congress this month, with key Democratic senators signaling they want to pump the brakes.
Once obscure, the Senate filibuster is coming under fresh scrutiny not only because of the enormous power it gives a single senator to halt President Joe Biden’s agenda, but as a tool historically used for racism.
Gun control groups are joining the progressive fight to end the filibuster as the Senate voting rule threatens their goal of passing comprehensive gun reform.
"Historian of the 20th century South here. I dispute Mitch's statement. The filibuster has a ton of 'racial history.'"
This brief will explore the racist history of the filibuster, how it came to be used as it is today, and outline this history specifically through the lens of gun violence prevention, cataloging legislation that has been impeded by the use of the filibuster, obstructing progress toward safer communities and fewer needless tragedies.
The filibuster is a procedural tool of the Senate that delays or prevents a piece of legislation from being brought to a vote. It is a vestige of a deal made to appeal to segregationists and has historically been used to block passage of civil rights legislation.
