Resources

PRESS RELEASES

Press Release: WEBSITE
 LAUNCH:
 New
 Resource 
Now 
Available
 to
 Track
 Senate
 Rules
 Reform 
Debate (December 13, 2010)

Press Release: In 
New
 Video,
 “60
Seconds”
 Highlights 
How
 Backroom 
Deals
 Obstruct 
Progress
 in
 the 
U.S.
 Senate (December 16, 2010)

Press Release: A
 Bi­partisan
 Call 
for 
Senate
 Rules
 Reform (December 21, 2010)

Press Release: Senate 
Democratic 
Caucus 
Unites 
Behind 
Rules
 Reform (December 22, 2010)

Press Release: On Eve of New Congress, Advocates and Experts Highlight Why Senate Rules Reform Will Strengthen the Democratic Process (January 4, 2011)

Press Release: Momentum Behind Senate Rules Reform Grows (January 5, 2011)

Press Call: Senate Leaders Behind Rules Reform Effort Highlight Need for Reform (January 18, 2011)

Press Release: As Senate Rules Reform Battle Heads into Home Stretch, Leading Academics Highlight Need for Reform (January 24, 2011)

Press Release: Leading Organizations Call for Stronger Senate Rules Reform Package (January 25, 2011)

 

FACT SHEETS AND REPORTS

Common Cause: The Filibuster - An Historical Accident

Common Cause: The Senate Must Amend its Filibuster Rules when New Congress Convenes in January

Council on Foreign Relations: Congress and National Security

Key Findings of the Council on Foreign Relations Report: A Broken Senate Hurts Our National Security

Filibusters and Holds: A Fact Sheet

Brennan Center for Justice: Filibuster Abuse

Background for OpEds, Letters to the Editor, and Bloggers

The Real State of Senate Rules Reform – Answering Concerns and Addressing Misconceptions

Why Rules Reform is Needed to Address the Judiciary Crisis

 

EDITORIALS

Oregonian, Talking about the filibuster, November 24, 2010

Star-Tribune, A welcome push for Senate reforms, November 25, 2010

Des Moines Register, End gridlock on judge appointments, November 26, 2010

Register-Guard, Merkley’s on the mark, November 26, 2010

Nashua Telegraph, Rules change needed on Senate filibusters, December 6, 2010

MetroWest Daily News, Fixing the filibuster, December 13, 2010

Los Angeles Times, A nuclear Senate, December 28, 2010

Lincoln Journal-Star: Filibuster Reform is Needed, December 29, 2010

Chico News and Review: End Anti-Democratic Rules, December 30, 2010

New York Times: Reform and the Filibuster, January 2, 2011

Tuscaloosa News (AL): Filibustering rules get new interpretation, January 3, 2011

Wakefield Observer (MA): Cool it with the filibusters in new Congress, January 3, 2011

Anniston Star (AL): Busting the rules: There’s needed reform in Senate, January 4, 2011

Detroit Free Press: Senate's Job No. 1: Reform filibuster rule, January 5, 2011

San Jose Mercury News: Senate should change filibuster rules, January 5, 2011

San Francisco Chronicle: Rules reform needed to fix U.S. Senate, January 5, 2011

Santa Rosa Press Democrat: Senate fix, January 5, 2011

Scranton Times Tribune: Fix filibuster, outlaw 'holds', January 5, 2011

Aurora Sentinel (CO): Senate needs filibuster rule changes, January 5, 2011

Charlotte Observer: Senate should put end to rampant filibuster abuse; But must do so in a way that protects minority party's voice, January 5, 2011

The Ledger (FL): Filibuster: Get Along in Senate, January 5, 2011

Star Ledger (NJ): Majority rules: End the filibuster, January 5, 2011

Register Guard: Fixing the filibuster; Senate should pass Merkley’s reform proposal, January 5, 2011

Portland Press Herald: Our View: Senators should back filibuster reform, January 5, 2011

Houston Chronicle: Filibuster fuss; In support of Senate Democrats' effort to revise rules, reduce ugly partisanship, January 5, 2011

Denham Transcript (MA): Fixing the Filibuster, January 6, 2011

Winfield Daily Courier (KS): Filibuster Reform Has Much Merit, January 6, 2011

Easton Journal (MA): Fixing the Filibuster, January 6, 2011

Times Call (CO): Senate Reform Would Keep 'Pirates' at Bay, January 7, 2011

Courier Post (NJ): Alter Filibuster Rules in Senate, January 10, 2011

Des Moines Register: Filibuster Should No Longer Rule Senate, January 14, 2011

New York Times: Beyond the Happy Visuals, January 19, 2011

Minutemen News Center (CT): Vote for Proposed Change to Senate Rules, January 19, 2011

Register Guard (OR): Reforming the Filibuster; The Senate Should Pass a Proposal to Change Its Rules, January 20, 2011

St. Petersburg Times (FL): Senate Should Pare Back the Filibuster, January 20, 2011

Palm Beach Post: End Anonymous Obstruction: One Senator Should Not Be Able to Gum Up the Works for Other 99, January 23, 2011

Statesman Journal: Senate Filibusters Clog All Three Branches, January 25, 2011

News Tribune (WA): Senate's 'Filibuster of One' Deserves a Fast Burial, January 26, 2011

New York Times: Make Them Work for It, January 26, 2011

 

OP-EDS

Tom Harkin, Overuse of Filibuster Threatens US Democracy, November 20, 2010

John Diaz, For a More Sensible Senate, December 19, 2010

Chuck Hagel and Gary Hart, Restoring Democracy to the US Senate, December 21, 2010

Michael Waldman, Washington Dysfunction's Cure Is in Sight, December 27, 2010

Katrina vanden Huevel, Filibuster Reform at Last?, December 28, 2010

Joyce Appleby, The Senate Filibuster: Time for a Change, January 2, 2011

Walter Mondale, Resolved: Fix the Filibuster, January 2, 2011

Julian E. Zelizer, Senate Should Let Majority Rule, January 3, 2011

Frank R. Lautenberg, Say Anything, but You Must Speak, January 5, 2011

William D. Ruckelshaus, Coats Knows It's Time to Bring Curtain Down on Filibuster Follies, January 5, 2011

Bob Edgar, It is Time to End the Filibuster, January 6, 2011

Sheldon Whitehouse, A Plan to Mend Filibuster, Not End It, January 7, 2011

Wade Henderson, We Must Fix the Filibuster, January 7, 2011

 

NEWS

Roberts Seeks More Judicial Confirmations, New York Times, December 31, 2010

 

LETTERS TO THE SENATE

Academic Perspective on Senate Rules Reform (December 2, 2010)

California Academics Write in Support of Senate Rules Reform (December 22, 2010)

Organizational Letter to the Senate (January 3, 2011)

Reform Rabbis (January 4, 2011)

 

PROPOSALS

Senate Resolution 10

 

VIDEOS

Senator Tom Udall: How to Reform the Senate

Senator Tom Harkin on the impact of archaic Senate rules on unemployment benefits

Senator Jeff Merkley explains how Senate rules reform will be addressed starting on January 5, 2010

Rachel Maddow Show: Why the Senate is Broken (December 14, 2010)