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The U.S. Senate was designed to be "the greatest deliberative body in the world"—where democratically elected public servants debated thoughtfully, listened carefully and worked together to respond to the peoples' will.
Today, that deliberative body is known for one thing and one thing alone: complete and total obstruction.
It's why we have to get rid of the filibuster.
Let's be clear. The filibuster isn't some wonky, procedural issue. It is a powerful legislative weapon, continuously deployed by those who fear progress, aimed repeatedly at reforms the vast majority of Americans want and need.
During the civil rights era, segregationists used the filibuster to deny black Americans basic rights and equal justice – again and again and again. Today, science deniers in the Senate have blocked any action to address climate change, NRA-hugging Republicans have stopped any effort to reduce gun violence, and anti-equality leaders have consistently stood in the way of the basic legal protections LGBTQIA+ Americans deserve.
Thanks to Mitch McConnell's abuse of the filibuster, not only will we not take on these critical issues, but the Senate won't even discuss them. Instead, our government stands by as our kids learn active shooter drills in school, climate change wreaks havoc on our home, and millions of Americans are discriminated against in their daily lives.
In a democracy, the public is supposed to get a government that acts in a way the majority of the country supports. Under the filibuster, just 41 Senators, who could represent as few as 11.1% of Americans, can block anything – or everything – the other 89% supports.
It's no wonder that so many people today feel overlooked, cut off or outright ignored by our system.
The system isn't speaking for them.
It's time we change that. And that's what this campaign is all about.
Onward,
Joe
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