Albuquerque Journal: Heinrich says he wants to change filibuster
Sen. Bob Casey: “This rule is an impediment to progress.”
Fix Our Senate Spokesman Eli Zupnick: “It’s only a matter of time before today’s filibuster is a thing of the past.”
FLASHBACK: New Polling: Voters Overwhelmingly Support Reform or Elimination of Filibuster
WASHINGTON, DC — This week, as Senators returned home and hosted town halls and other meetings with their constituents, it was clearer than ever that support for filibuster reform continues to grow and gain momentum. Senators noted that the filibuster has become too easy for the minority to abuse and that, unless something is done, it will prevent their party from passing critical legislation and delivering on the promises they made to voters.
Some recent examples:
Sen. Heinrich, speaking at a town hall on Monday: “As much as I know that, at some point, (Republicans) are going to do things that I absolutely disagree with, on climate, on choice, on really important stuff, it is just as important to begin to have the feedback with the American people to tell the difference between the two parties. Elections will have consequences.”
Sen. Casey, speaking at a drive-in town hall last week: “If someone invokes the filibuster, they've gotta earn it. You know what they do now? … They go home for the weekend. They don't earn it … This rule is an impediment to progress.”
Fix Our Senate Spokesman Eli Zupnick gave the following statement:
“It’s only a matter of time before today’s filibuster is a thing of the past. Filibuster reform and elimination is now a consensus position among Senate Democrats and now they need to listen to their constituents and move quickly to ensure that it doesn’t continue to block critical legislation from getting signed into law.
“Senate Democrats cannot waste any more time. Voting rights are under attack across the country, the stagnant federal minimum wage is forcing workers into poverty, and gun violence is taking people's lives every single day. Senate Democrats can either take action to address these critical issues or continue allowing the broken and abused filibuster to stop them—the choice is obvious.”
There are hundreds of activations happening across the country in the coming weeks hosted by groups including Indivisible and the Poor People’s Campaign, calling on Senators to eliminate the filibuster. Momentum continues to grow as voters nationwide connect the Jim Crow filibuster to the issues they care about.