"The U.S. Senate rules allow a handful of senators to stop the rest from making any progress. Senators don’t even get to debate about really important legislation on the Senate floor, let alone vote, and no one is held accountable. It is time to reform the rules.
At the beginning of the current, 112th Congress, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Reid and Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced a "gentlemen's agreement" (HERE) to break the procedural gridlock that kept the Senate tied in knots through most of 2010.
A package of meaningful Senate reforms backed by reform-minded Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Tom Udall (D-NM), and Tom Harkin (D-IA) and supported by the Fix the Senate Now coalition (HERE) failed to achieve a majority, with one falling just two votes short of passage. However, we hoped that the modest steps away from obstruction outlined in the “gentleman’s agreement” would be honored. Unfortunately, the Senate quickly defaulted to its obstructionist tendencies.
According to research (HERE) by David Waldman of Congress Matters and Daily Kos, this current 112th Congress already has witnessed the third highest total of cloture motions ever filed. The only two sessions to see greater levels of obstruction were the immediately preceding 110th and 111th sessions."
More Videos on this issue!
1. What Sunlight Foundation does! HERE!
2. Why Should Government Be Online? HERE!
3. Scout Alert by Sunlight Foundation! HERE!
4. Making Government Transparent! HERE!
5. Open Government Scorecard! HERE!
6. How does a foreign government lobby in Washington? HERE!
7. AD Hawk to see who is paying for political ads! HERE!
8. Election Day Countdown Webinar! HERE!
Demand Legislation Officeholders support the following 11 reforms:
* Support the 'American Anti-Corruption Act' - HERE!
* Support the 'Fair Elections Now Act.' Click HERE!
* Support an "Everybody Votes and All Votes Are Verifiably Counted Plan". We need
everyone voting and voting systems that inspire confidence in the results. Click HERE!
* Support a "Disclosure of Campaign Contributions" Bill (HERE) and "Money Out of
Politics Plan". Click HERE!
* Support a "Fair Tax System Plan." Click HERE and HERE for Citizens for Tax Justice
ideas.
* Support a "Media Reform That Supports Democracy." Click HERE!
* Support a "Fair and Impartial Courts That Protect Equal Justice Plan." Click HERE!
* Support a "Representative Democracy That Works Plan" with Filibuster Reform (HERE
and HERE) and Ballot Access Reform HERE and HERE).
* Support a "National Popular Vote For President" Bill to elect the candidate who gets the
most votes in all states and DC. HERE!
* Support a constitutional amendment to say that corporations are not people! ClickHERE
and HERE for info!
