Fix the Senate

By on November 20, 2012 in

Tags: ,

Glad to see Senator Shaheen working on Filibuster reform

It is time, at long last, to fix the filibuster. If Senators want to block a bill with endless “debate,” they should be required to stand on the floor and make their case to the American people with a real, talking filibuster!

Sign the Petition Here

About Mike Hoefer

Mike has been an active member of Blue Hampshire from the early days, and currently serves as the managing editor.
View all posts by Mike Hoefer →

,

  • timsmith

    The NH Constitution provides a great solution that I wish they would adopt in Washington:

    The NH House and Senate have the authority to toss members in jail who attempt to fillibuster for “obstructing its deliberations” according to Article 22.

    Not that I’m aware of this ever being used, I’m quite sure it’s an effective way of preventing such abuses of procedure from being attempted.

    Full text of the article:


    [Art.] 22. [House to Elect Speaker and Officers, Settle Rules of Proceedings, and Punish Misconduct.]

    The house of representatives shall choose their own speaker, appoint their own officers, and settle the rules of proceedings in their own house; and shall be judge of the returns, elections, and qualifications, of its members, as pointed out in this constitution. They shall have authority to punish, by imprisonment, every person who shall be guilty of disrespect to the house, in its p resence, by any disorderly and contemptuous behavior, or by threatening, or illtreating, any of its members; or by obstructing its deliberations; every person guilty of a breach of its privileges, in making arrests for debt, or by assaulting any member during his attendance at any session; in assaulting or disturbing any one of its officers in the execution of any order or procedure of the house; in assaulting any witness, or other person, ordered to attend, by and during his attendance of the house; or i n rescuing any person arrested by order of the house, knowing them to be such.

  • TimothyHorrigan

    It’s just as well this article of the constitution hasn’t been enforced too aggressively.  Otherwise, there would be many state reps who would have thrown in jail.

  • StraffordDem

    Nothing more that the minority would like than to spout their nonsense around the clock.  As it stands now, the majority could actually require this – they don’t need a rules change.

    Ending the filibuster is a much more democratic solution.  It has no founding in the Constitution and works to further the distortions of malapportionament in the Senate.