The filibuster must be reformed

The Senate, once hailed as the "world's greatest deliberative body," is a dysfunctional shadow of its original self.

What's the biggest source of that dysfunction? Mitch McConnell's abuse of the "no-effort" filibuster to paralyze the Senate and protect the interests of the privileged.

This inflicts damage on our ability to deliver for Americans in two critical ways.

First, McConnell deploys the no-effort filibuster to waste the Senate's time. A non-controversial nomination takes a week. And a broadly supported policy bill takes two weeks (one week to get the bill to the floor and another to get to a final vote).

Second, he wields the no-effort filibuster to stop bold progressive policies:

Gun safety bills? Dead.

Voting rights? Dead.

Labor protections? Dead.

Dark money reforms? Dead.

Reproductive rights? Dead.

Immigration reform? Dead.

Mitch McConnell has already gotten rid of the filibuster for his priorities: corporate power, stacking the courts, and tax cuts for the rich.

We need to reform it for our priorities: abortion rights, voting rights, protecting Social Security, and climate change. To do that and fix the Senate, we need to hold and expand the Democratic Senate Majority.

As November's elections get closer and closer, we need to push even harder around reforming the filibuster and double down on our efforts to defend the Democratic Senate Majority.

Onward!

Jeff