Filibusters

Overcomes Republican Filibuster

March 3, 2010 -- WASHINGTON, DC – Late this evening the U.S. Senate approved legislation extending for 30 days jobless benefits, COBRA health insurance subsidies, payments to doctors who serve Medicare patients, and tax breaks for small businesses, which expired on February 28th.

The disruption in benefits was the result of a Republican effort, led by Senator Jim Bunning (R-KY), to block a vote on this critical legislation.

U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) voted for the short-term measure but stated that more needs to be done. Reed and Whitehouse have staunchly advocated for a longer extension of unemployment insurance (UI) and COBRA health benefits through the end
of 2010.    » read more »

Filibuster That Puts Workers Out of Work, Shuts Down Construction Sites

March 2, 2010 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Senator Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) today denounced a Republican filibuster in the Senate that has shut down job sites across the country and sent workers home without pay.

“Construction sites are job sites,” stated Lautenberg. “The irresponsible action taken by Senate Republicans is causing critical transportation projects across the country to be shut down. Workers are being sent home without pay and communities are being saddled with inactive projects.    » read more »

Says “endless legislative delays imperil the Republic” and “obstructionists should pay a price in public notoriety and physical exhaustion”

February 21, 2010 -- Washington -- Senator Evan Bayh said today that abuse of the filibuster has reached historically alarming proportions and called on Senate leaders to lower the threshold to overcome a filibuster to 55 votes and force senators to physically stand on the Senate floor if they feel strongly enough to employ the stalling tactic.    » read more »

WASHINGTON -- Nov. 17, 2009 – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Tuesday urged the Senate to vote to end the filibuster of the nomination of Judge David Hamilton to the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. Hamilton’s nomination has been pending on the Senate’s executive calendar since June 4.

President Obama nominated Judge Hamilton on March 17. He appeared before the Judiciary Committee twice, on April 1 and April 29. His nomination is supported by Indiana Senators Richard Lugar (R) and Evan Bayh (D). Senate Republicans have rejected efforts to reach an agreement to debate and vote on Hamilton’s nomination, and last Tuesday, the Senate Majority Leader filed cloture – a motion to bring debate to an end – on the nomination.    » read more »

April 28, 2009 -- "I have been a Republican since 1966. I have been working extremely hard for the Party, for its candidates and for the ideals of a Republican Party whose tent is big enough to welcome diverse points of view. While I have been comfortable being a Republican, my Party has not defined who I am. I have taken each issue one at a time and have exercised independent judgment to do what I thought was best for Pennsylvania and the nation.

Since my election in 1980, as part of the Reagan Big Tent, the Republican Party has moved far to the right. Last year, more than 200,000 Republicans in Pennsylvania changed their registration to become Democrats. I now find my political philosophy more in line with Democrats than Republicans.    » read more »

12/10/2007 -- Republican filibusters and Presidential vetoes have created a backlog of important legislation stalled in Congress. The President continues to veto, and threaten to veto, critical legislation that would make a real difference in the lives of Americans.    » read more »