General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsEnd the Hastert Rule; Filibuster Reform
The two most important things that ought to be advocated for and done is to bring genuine democrat majority rule to the U.S. House and Senate.
This 'tyranny of the minority' that has developed in both houses of Congress is at the root of all these crises.
Demand an end to the so-called 'Hastert Rule' in the House and get real filibuster reform in the Senate and we will start to get the federal government's economic house in order.
Otherwise, no matter how well intentioned are the congressional Democrats and the President, we will be seeing this kind of chaos and fighting every 90 days or so.
ruffburr
(1,190 posts)CurtEastPoint
(18,656 posts)but it is THE cause of all the problems.
nadinbrzezinski
(154,021 posts)I am deadly serious
scheming daemons
(25,487 posts)You can't get rid of a rule that doesn't exist.
DonViejo
(60,536 posts)Skinner
(63,645 posts)It's just the way Republicans prefer to operate in the House. But it is not a rule and they are not bound by it. Boehner has broken the Hastert rule before, and he'll probably do so today.
Tx4obama
(36,974 posts)... will bring a bill to the House floor or not.
The Hastert Rule, also known as the "majority of the majority" rule, is an informal governing principle used by Republican Speakers of the House of Representatives since the mid-1990s to maintain their speakerships[1] and limit the power of the minority party to bring bills up for a vote on the floor of the House. ....
zbdent
(35,392 posts)Make ALL filibusters (Dem, Rep, I) where you have to keep talking, no breaks.
davidpdx
(22,000 posts)that actual one that Senator Merkley and Senator Udell proposed failed because of 7 spinless Ds.
MSMITH33156
(879 posts)The Hastert Rule isn't actually a rule, it's more of a policy. Nancy Pelosi ignored it frequently. There is nothing to really to do there. And the reason this got blocked was because a majority party allowed a minority in their own party to set the policy for their entire party. So it is a bit unfair to say the Hastert Rule allows for tyranny of the minority, because it is really tyranny of the majority.
As for filibustering, sure we could use some reform there, perhaps limiting its scope. I wouldn't get rid of it entirely though.