Here it is: The filibuster reform package!

Here it is: The filibuster reform package!
By Greg Sargent

Here's a copy http://voices.washingtonpost.com/plum-line/Rules%20Reform%20Resolution%201.5.11%5B7%5D.pdf of the filibuster reform resolution that Senate Democrats will introduce later today, sent over by an aide to Tom Udall, one of the key Senators driving this campaign.

While the broad outlines of the proposal were already public, the details were being debated by Senators Udall, Jeff Merkley, Tom Harkin and Amy Klobuchar until as late as yesterday. The actual resolution is important, because it will serve as a jumping off point for the debate over reform that will unfold over the next couple of weeks.

Here's a summary of the main items, also provided by a Udall aide:

HERE:
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/plum-line/2011/01/here_it_is_the_filibuster_refo.html

<SNIP>

Talking Filibuster: Ensures Real Debate

Following a failed cloture vote, Senators opposed to proceeding to final passage will be required to continue debate as long as the subject of the cloture vote or an amendment, motion, point of order, or other related matter is the pending business.

<SNIP>

Republicans are way to lazy to do that. Remember how they squealed during LameDuck about missing their vacay?

under Senate rules it takes 67 votes to change any of the Senate rules ....

They need only 51 votes.

per the reporting I saw on Countdown

filibuster the rule change and force a 60 vote to cut off debate ....

for a rule change on the first day.

But the Dems better hurry up, the sooner the better.

:puke:

But the republicans will be sure to thank you in 2012.

We'd already had the 110th Congress to show them that Rethugs were abusing the hell out of the filibuster and secret holds.

Thanks Reid, for being incompetent.

:(

It would've almost been worth having Sharon Angle in the Senate to force the Senate Dems to pick a better majority leader.

edit: cursing, I curse too much.

It's easier for the filibustering party to maintain than it is for the majority to break. They have to maintain a quorum while the filibusterers can just rotate one person in and out. I think that's the deal. Ezra Klein wrote about this awhile back.

Unless I'm misunderstanding this, it is more bullshit designed to create the illusion of reform and appease progressives than it is real reform. The Harkin proposal where the cloture threshold lowers after a certain number of days until it eventually goes down to 50 votes would have been real reform. It would have guaranteed policies supported by 50 Senators could be brought to a vote. This doesn't.

...aren't going to be looked at particularly kindly. It'll get people talking again.

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.