A few months ago, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and I wrote a post about what we saw as one of the biggest threats to Senate progress: Secret holds that allow a single senator to torpedo any piece of legislation, without giving a reason or even identifying him or herself. At the time, a few holdouts kept us from getting the bill to stop secret holds passed. But now, the Senate is about to finalize our rules for doing business for the coming year.
And if we really want to break up the logjams keeping us from getting things done, we need to make sure stopping secret holds is one of the rules passed.
Secret holds block progress and hinder accountability -- it is time for them go.
Not only have we seen hundreds of nominations undermined, and bill after bill sidetracked, but just last month, a secret hold was used to block a bill that would have helped us reduce fraud and waste in the federal government.
The U.S. Senate's governing rules will set the stage for how every piece of legislation we consider is handled. If we really want new Senate rules that will help us improve accountability and improve efficiency, we can't let secret holds continue to hold the process hostage.
In this time of too much politics and too little progress, do we really want to let senators with an axe-to-grind unilaterally stop anything they disagree with, in secret, and with no accountability?
We simply can't allow these political games to stop us from getting our work done.
The vote could be in less than a week -- we simply can't afford to wait, because this may be our last chance in a long time. It's a new year, and a new Senate, with a new opportunity to work together.
Those who want to stay in the shadows and avoid accountability have managed to derail our efforts to stop secret holds many times before -- but this time, thanks to your support, I think we can finally get this important change passed.
http://www.StopSecretHolds.com
Thank you for your attention on this crucial issue.
You go, girl. Clicked the link and signed my support.
Beyond that, Senator McCaskill, many Americans, perhaps a growing majority, feel that the future destiny of America and wellbeing of the American people rest with a new kind of politics, a new political culture, and a new class of political leaders. I suggest America is overdue to turn away from defunct patriarchal paternalistic plutocratic national politics, and embrace matriarchal maternalistic people's popular politics for 21st century. Figures tell a succinct story: 1945 + 65 = 2010. The babyboom generation is retiring in massive numbers (millions) starting 2010. Wars + corporate corruptions cannot solve it. A new first woman President of United States in 2012 or 2016 might inject hope, and Alexander's solution to America.
Now, then, if you want to change the rules, we may be interested. Liberalism is fresh in the minds of the voters and has been rejected. We on the HARD RIGHT would welcome the right to do whatever we want when we take over in 2012 and 2014.
That is a frightening thought.
That is what is gonna lead to America's Bastille Day.
As I recall, that didn't workout so well for the @ConservativeCapitalist of that era.
GOD SAVE AMERICA!
We the people, have a need and perhaps a right to know how our government is working or not working. We pay their salary and we should be able to review their work. I am surprised that we do not demand performance plans with reviews for our Congress.
There are many things we could do to make Congress once again a healthy body of negotiations and compromise with the interests of the citizens first instead of business and wealth.
Mean while the GOP plan it seems is to gut the services and support laws that benefit so many, so that there is more for their lobbyists and wealthy friends.
Please seek a bill that requires full disclosure of campaign funds so that we the people can see who actually 'owns' our politicians. We the people certainly don't. If we did, the first order of business would have been jobs and the economy instead of trying to repeal HCR.
Go for it Claire, you have my support and signature!