The Phantom Filibuster
Since when does it require 60 votes to pass an amendment to a bill in the US Senate? The last time I checked, we live by majority rule in this country and in the Senate. There’s been a debate at Talking Points Memo about the value of requiring a filibuster when a minority of Senators threatens to use the tactic. Count me among those who’ve grown tired of watching Democrats cave in whenever Republicans tell them to.
Senator Jim Webb has offered a worthwhile amendment to the defense appropriations bill. Webb’s amendment would require combat soldiers to spend as much time at home as they did on their last overseas deployment. This protects our overburdened troops and is consistent with Congress’ Constitutional responsibilities as described in Article 1:
“The Congress shall have Power To provide for the common Defence, …To raise and support Armies
…To provide and maintain a Navy; To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces;
…To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions;
…To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States”
When a minority of Senators threatened to filibuster Senator Webb’s amendment, the Democratic leaders should have told them to go ahead and filibuster. Let the Republicans spend a week or two continuously explaining their position. The Senators who would have to actually get on the floor and hold open debate might miss a couple of weekend fund raisers and would undoubtedly find that annoying. So what? The Democrats could spend the time parading in front of TV cameras saying “All we want is an up or down vote.” This is what Republicans did during the last Supreme Court nomination.
When good poker players have a winning hand, they raise the stakes. If any other players are foolish enough to stay in the game, they raise the stakes again and again. When the Democrats have a winning hand, they fold. Pathetic.
December 4th, 2007 at 4:45 am
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