Dear John,
In the last two weeks alone, Texas Republicans passed two egregious laws: a draconian, near-total abortion ban and a sweeping voter suppression law that targets likely Democratic voters.
The signing of these two laws marked a grim day for our democracy.
But Congress can step in to block both of them — by passing the Women’s Health Protection Act, and the For the People and John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Acts.
There’s only one thing standing in their way: the filibuster.
A handful of conservative Senate Democrats are refusing to abolish, or even amend, the filibuster — leaving crucial legislation to waste away in the Senate, as voting rights and the right to choose get eviscerated.
This arcane Senate rule threatens to tank the bulk of Democrats’ policies. But here’s another thing you might not know: the filibuster actually violates the Constitution.
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Today we have a total mockery of majority rule. Just 41 Senate Republicans, representing only 21 percent of the country, are blocking critical laws supported by the vast majority of Americans.
This is exactly the opposite of what the Framers of the Constitution intended. They unequivocally rejected the notion that a minority of Senators could obstruct the majority.
Every time Republicans use or defend the filibuster they’re directly violating the Constitution — the document they claim to be dedicated to.
Republicans cannot profess to be "originalists" and defend the Constitution while repeatedly violating it.
Thanks for watching,
Robert Reich
Inequality Media Civic Action
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