Since I first came to the Senate about a year ago I've been consistently frustrated by how the filibuster is abused to bring progress to a halt.
If you turned on the news yesterday, what you saw was yet another Republican filibuster killing an important piece of legislation. This isn't a "might happen," or a "could happen" stalling tactic -- this has been happening since even before I got here. And it will continue happening unless we stop it, once and for all.
There is a critical Senate hearing today to discuss my bill to stop frivolous filibusters and end the secret holds that too often stymie progress.
It's no accident that the bill the Republicans filibustered yesterday was the DISCLOSE Act: a critical piece of legislation that would require corporations and special interests that pay for political advertisements to disclose their funding.
This legislation is especially important now, with the recent Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United that opened up the floodgates for hidden corporate donations to influence campaigns -- even from foreign sources.
My bill would stop this. It limits the time filibusters can stall debate. It would stop filibusters on procedural votes that now can derail entire bills. And it would require those who threaten to filibuster to do it on the Senate floor where all of America can see their obstruction.
Finally, my bill would end the "secret hold" practice -- a completely antiquated rule that allows a single Senator to anonymously torpedo legislation with no repercussions or explanation owed for their actions. In fact, just this week a bill I helped introduce fell victim to a secret hold by another Democrat and was killed without explanation -- a bill to boost child nutrition no less.
It's critical that we get these reforms passed now. We cannot wait for abuse of the filibuster to halt progress over and over again. Let's show my colleagues the strength of the grassroots support for this legislation, and for reforming Washington, before we miss the chance.
I need your support to make sure this bill makes it through committee and to the Senate floor for a vote ASAP.
I know we're not going to be able to reform how Washington works overnight, but we need to take this important first step.
Follow Sen. Michael Bennet on Twitter: www.twitter.com/BennetForCO
And We Will fight Washington Elites jamming him down our throats.
WHAT DID COLORADO DEMOCRATS EVER DO TO OBAMA?
That he Must Tell US who OUR Senate Candidate Will Be?
Gov. Ritter split the Colorado Party and Set our Colorado Party Back 10 Years with the Bennet appointment. Bennet has never been elected to any office whatsoever and yet Obama is causing Millions in out of state and special interest money to flow into Bennet's campaign. Bennet lost our Democratic caucus, county assemblies(all but 3) and our State Assembly voting. Romanoff beat Bennet with 50% more votes. That is a huge margin. Colorado Dems DON'T WANT BENNET, yet Obama and his Organizing For America hacks are trying to force us to accept Bennet.
Now, 460,000 Colorado Dems are getting recorded Obama calls telling us we have to support Michael Bennet, Phil Anchutz's Corporate Raider and
"Pretend" Hero of the Public Option.
HANG UP ON OBAMA.
SEND A MESSAGE TO WASHINGTON DC "We're Sick of Your arrogant Meddling""
50% more Colorado Democrats at our State Assembly Wanted Romanoff and Still Obama Meddles.
As Paul W: in the Denver Post said "Obama's win in 2008 in Colorado was by 200,000 votes. He's risking alienation of 464,000 voters that likely voted for him in 2008 and, no doubt, at least half of those are Romanoff supporters."
That may be Chicago Style leadership but it is not Colorado Style Leadership.
Don't attempt a "Rose Garden strategy" when you've got all thorns and no blooms.
If you have any credible evidence to the contrary, produce it. Don't be like Romanoff.
Would you be advocating this if you were not facing a tough primary challenge?
Aren't you the same guy who joined Evan Bayh's Corporate ConservaDem Club immediately upon being appointed to the Senate, aligning yourself with the hard-core Republicans to deliberately block progressive reforms?
My household just sent in our ballots -- unanimously for Romanoff.
He's in a very difficult primary and has substantially lost up to this point.
Will this website give equal space and prominence to his challenger Romanoff?
"Both of the state's Democratic Senators, Michael Bennet and Mark Udall, initially voted "no." But right before the vote, i.e. once it became clear that the bill had no chance of passing, they both switched sides and joined 31 other Senators in voting "yes.""
What a stand up guy.
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/matt-taibbi/blogs/TaibbiData_May2010/182561/83512
Senator Bennet is repulsive. Haven't you ever heard of congressmen voting no on a bill, and then when there is an amendment, they vote yes. There is no scandal -- only one you are making up. You ought to be ashamed of yourself.
Do it. Do it now.