WTF : 61 senators sign letter urging leaders to preserve the filibuster after GOP changed rules

[sunonmars]

http://edition.cnn.com/2017/04/07/politics/senate-filibuster-rules-letter/index.html

A bipartisan group of 61 senators sent a letter to Senate leaders Friday urging them to maintain the 60-vote threshold for filibusters involving legislation, which they said is needed to ensure bipartisanship remains a component of passing bills through the chamber.

The move comes in the wake of a contentious battle this week in the Senate over the confirmation of Neil Gorsuch when the Republicans who control the chamber used the "nuclear option" to neutralize the filibuster for nominees to the Supreme Court.

"We are writing to urge you to support our efforts to preserve existing rules, practices, and traditions as they pertain to the right of Members to engage in extended debate on legislation before the United States Senate," said the letter that was spearheaded by GOP Sen. Susan Collins of Maine and Democratic Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware. "Senators have expressed a variety of opinions about the appropriateness of limiting debate when we are considering judicial and executive branch nominations. Regardless of our past disagreements on that issue, we are united in our determination to preserve the ability of Members to engage in extended debate when bills are on the Senate floor."

...............................

Seriously, you screwed us with what you did and now you want to restore it back...

If you wanted to keep it, you should have not voted it down, you fuckwits.

The god damn cheek.

[angstlessk]

1. They want it in case Democrats win

[DrToast]

2. This is for the legislative filibuster

This was not changed.

[Lurks Often]

6. Shh, you're spoiling the outrage with facts!

[sl8]

3. Text & pdf of letter, signatories:

PDF:
https://www.collins.senate.gov/sites/default/files/Bipartisan%20Preserve%20Filibuster%20Letter.pdf

From https://www.collins.senate.gov/newsroom/senators-collins-coons-lead-effort-preserve-60-vote-threshold-legislation :

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Chris Coons (D-DE) led a bipartisan group of 61 Senators in writing to Senate leadership, urging them to preserve the 60 vote threshold for legislation.
"This letter demonstrates that a majority of the Senate, both Republicans and Democrats, can come together to protect an important tradition of the Senate that recognizes the rights of the minority and makes bipartisan legislation more likely,” said Senator Collins. “After the contentious and polarized debate of the past few weeks, I am hopeful that this letter indicates a new determination by a bipartisan group of more than 60 Senators to move forward to solve the pressing problems facing our nation."

"Democrats want the Senate to work, and we are willing to partner with our colleagues across the aisle if we can get things done for the American people,” said Senator Coons. “We have a long way to go to heal the wounds between our two parties, but this letter is a small first step towards that important goal."

Senators Collins and Coons’ letter was signed by Senators Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Claire McCaskill (D-MO), John McCain (R-AZ), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Luther Strange (R-AL), Richard Burr (R-NC), Angus King (I-ME), Mark Warner (D-VA), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Roy Blunt (R-MO), Bob Casey (D-PA), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), John Boozman (R-AR), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), John Thune (R-SD), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), Michael Enzi (R-WY), Jeff Flake (R-AZ), Dean Heller (R-NV), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Rob Portman (R-OH), Lamar Alexander (R-TN), John Kennedy (R-LA), Thad Cochran (R-MS), Joe Donnelly (D-IN), Jon Tester (D-MT), Ben Sasse (R-NE), Thomas Carper (D-DE), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Todd Young (R-IN), Pat Roberts (R-KS), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Ed Markey (D-MA), Mike Lee (R-UT), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Bob Menendez (D-NJ).

Read the signed letter HERE. The full text of the letter is below:


The Honorable Mitch McConnell The Honorable Charles E. Schumer
Majority Leader Democratic Leader
United States Senate United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510 Washington, DC 20510

Dear Majority Leader McConnell and Democratic Leader Schumer:

We are writing to urge you to support our efforts to preserve existing rules, practices, and traditions as they pertain to the right of Members to engage in extended debate on legislation before the United States Senate. Senators have expressed a variety of opinions about the appropriateness of limiting debate when we are considering judicial and executive branch nominations. Regardless of our past disagreements on that issue, we are united in our determination to preserve the ability of Members to engage in extended debate when bills are on the Senate floor.

We are mindful of the unique role the Senate plays in the legislative process, and we are steadfastly committed to ensuring that this great American institution continues to serve as the world’s greatest deliberative body. Therefore, we are asking you to join us in opposing any effort to curtail the existing rights and prerogatives of Senators to engage in full, robust, and extended debate as we consider legislation before this body in the future.

Sincerely,

[SaschaHM]

4. Operative word being "legislative filibuster".

That needs to stay in place, especially with Trump in office and the Republicans in charge of both houses.

[trof]

5. HORSE. SHIT. FUCK. THEM.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

7. Apparently having the filibuster for legislation

is waaay more important for legislation than for a Supreme Court seat. That SCOTUS seat was so damned important to them.

[standingtall]

8. Not a single democrat should've signed this

repukes want to keep the legislative filibuster so they can obstruct when democrats take back power and to prevent democrats from expanding the supreme court to remedy the court staking by repukes. All filibusters should be gone now.

[SaschaHM]

9. Getting rid of all filibusters now is such a terrible idea.

Do you really want to give the Republicans full unfettered authority to pass any law that they want, which will then be signed by the Republican President?

Of course, the Democrats should sign this and go along with it. They're under no obligation to reinstate the SC filibuster when they regain the majority and they don't have to get keep the legislative one either. However, if a group of Repubs want to keep it in place while they are in power, hell more power to them. I'd be encouraging them to keep the legislative filibuster in place too.

[Ms. Toad]

10. Thank you.

Some of us are so dead set against anything any Republican favors that we can't see past the rage.

I absolutely want the filibuster when, for example, the next bastardized version of a health care bill comes up.

[SaschaHM]

11. Right?

The one thing keeping them from completely wrecking health care is that fact that they can only pass something through reconciliation because they don't have 60 votes to overcome a Dem filibuster. The last thing any democrat should want right now is for the Senate to become the House i.e. the minority party is just window dressing.

[sl8]

12. +1

[Wiseman32218]

13. Spot On

A simple majority in the senate for legislation would be extremely harmful to all Americans.

[standingtall]

14. Do you honestly think republicans are going to honor

this if they get a bill they really want passed through congress? Like for example their ACA repel and replace bill. They will go nuclear on legislation when it's suits them too. If republicans fail to get anything meaningful through over the next 4 years because they cannot get a simple majority vote. This agreement will tie the hands democrats when they regain control. If democrats go nuclear on legislation when they take back control republicans will have the upper hand in the pr war.Sense democrats agreed to keep the filibuster for legislation when they were in the minority.

[SaschaHM]

16. This agreement ties no ones hands as it's not even binding.

I still don't understand what you are arguing. Are you saying that we should just get rid of it now so that Dems don't have to deal with the PR of doing it in 4 years? That's handing the Republicans the keys to the kingdom over the threat of a pr blunder 4 years now. If Republicans want to tie their own hands now, let them. Hell, Democrats are right to assist them in that. There is no meaningful or any beneficial reason to give up what little power we have over some oft chance 4 years from now that we control congress and the white house. There is too much at stake to give Republicans that much control now.

[WillowTree]

19. So..........get rid of it now to facilitate their efforts to repeal ACA? Brilliant!

Not.

[mythology]

15. By your logic, Republicans should be against this because Reid removed the filibuster

for other judicial appointments.

[Warren DeMontague]

17. I'm sure they'll bring it back

In time for our next turn with the majority.

[D_Master81]

18. I half expect

i half expect there to be some vote on restoring the filibuster for SC nominations if the Repubs see the writing on the wall and see the Dems are gonna take over. Maybe I'm just be cynical i dont know