John,
The biggest obstacle to voting rights, pro-democracy bills, reproductive freedom, campaign finance reform, and more is the filibuster.
Mitch McConnell continues to weaponize this archaic rule, which appears nowhere in the Constitution but has been cynically used to block civil rights legislation for decades, and to dictate the Senate’s agenda from the minority.
Even though Democrats possess a 5-seat majority in the House and a single vote advantage in the Senate, it’s practically impossible to pass any number of crucial bills through regular order.
Passing the President’s Build Back Better agenda through budget reconciliation is our one shot at universal pre-K, climate action, lower prescription drug costs, and more because it doesn’t require a 60-vote majority. Or in other words, it doesn’t require Mitch McConnell.
It’s the same way we passed the American Rescue Plan Act in March, which created the expanded Child Tax Credit, postponed the eviction moratorium, extended increased unemployment payments, and distributed hundreds of millions of vaccines. Let’s not forget — not a single Republican voted for this bill even though it provided critical relief after months of hardship and instability due to the pandemic. They don’t care.
Without the budget reconciliation process, the American Rescue Plan Act and the Build Back Better Act would both be in Mitch McConnell’s legislative graveyard right now. President Biden’s agenda would be in tatters, and America hurting.
But we can’t use the reconciliation process for most legislation, and so any number of critical national priorities merely languish without action. And our people suffer the results.
If the filibuster was preventing Republicans from enacting their agenda, they would have abolished it immediately. We can’t wait any longer. It’s time to act.
Add your name to my petition declaring your support for abolishing the filibuster. We need to show the GOP that the majority of Americans don’t believe in this backward Senate rule — not even a law — that has ground the Senate nearly to a halt.
At this point in our history, the filibuster plays no constructive role. And with our democracy on the line, abolishing it is the only way forward. I believe that together, we can defend our democracy and create a better future for generations to come.
Thank you for making your voice heard.
— Adam
