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Sherman A1

(38,958 posts)
Sat Dec 15, 2012, 05:39 AM Dec 2012

Blunt Decries 'Nuclear Option' For Filibuster

Missouri Senator Roy Blunt is joining his fellow Republicans in criticizing a push by Majority Leader Harry Reid that would limit the power of the filibuster -- a legislative technique to give power to the minority party.

Blunt and the GOP call Reid's proposed rule changes the "nuclear option." Reid prefers the term the "constitutional option."

Whatever you call it, it would limit the use of the filibuster by making a few changes – most notably being that the one doing the filibustering actually has to be present for the speech, and can’t just threaten it.

The filibuster is a tactic that's been used increasingly in recent history. Just last week, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell even filibustered his own bill. Missouri Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill, who was presiding at the time, feigned whiplash and joked with reporters later that it "was really weird. McConnell kind of lost it."

http://www.news.stlpublicradio.org/post/blunt-decries-nuclear-option-filibuster

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