Monday, December 03, 2012

POLITICS - Senate Filibusters

"Senators Spar Over Filibusters, Blaming Rules for Constant Partisan Gridlock" PBS Newshour 11/30/2012

Excerpt

SUMMARY: Going into a high-stakes confrontation over the federal deficit and fiscal cliff, Democrats have begun to push for filibuster reform, citing it as a barrier to progress. Kwame Holman looks back at the history of the filibuster, how that strategy has evolved and what it may mean for congressional progress and bipartisanship.

JEFFREY BROWN (Newshour): George Washington famously described the Senate as the saucer that cools the tea, a body designed to soothe hot legislation that emerged from the House of Representatives.

But, as congressional correspondent Kwame Holman reports, some senators have gotten pretty steamed over a proposed change to how their chamber operates.

KWAME HOLMAN (Newshour): A sign of the holiday season, the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree arrived in Washington on Monday. But behind the festive scene outside, there was a partisan war raging inside on the floor of the Senate.

The combatants, Democratic Majority Leader Harry Reid and Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

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