Over the past year, The Nation has been a champion of filibuster reform. "With the modern filibuster, senators can hold up bills without the public ever finding out their names," wrote Thomas Geoghegan in 2009. "No one’s accountable for obstructing. No senator runs the risk of looking like a fool. But while they’re up there concealing one another’s identity, the Republic is a shambles." This session, the Senate has a chance to amend the procedure that has foiled countless pieces of progressive legislation. Senator Tom Udall is leading a charge to have fifty-one senators vote against adopting the previous Senate’s set of rules, which would open up the filibuster, among other procedural measures that stymie worthy bills and shroud the Senate’s work in secrecy, for review and revision. Today, Harry Reid blocked action on the reform effort by bringing the Senate in and out of session so quickly that the rules were not considered. Jeff Merkley, another senator pushing reform, hopes the rules change will be considered January 23 or 24. Get up to speed on the issues at stake by reading key pieces from The Nation‘s coverage of filibuster reform:
Christopher Hayes, Fix the Filibuster
Thomas Geoghegan, The Case for Busting the Filibuster
Senator Tom Harkin, Fixing the Filibuster
William Greider, Stop Senator No