Introduction
The filibuster is a parliamentary procedure used in the United States Senate to prevent a measure from being brought to a vote. The filibuster allows a senator to speak for as long as they wish on any given issue, and it requires a supermajority of 60 votes to end the debate and bring the measure to a vote. The filibuster has been used throughout history to block civil rights legislation, and more recently, it has been used to block legislation on gun control, climate change, and immigration.
The Case for Ending the Senate Filibuster
The filibuster has been a part of the U.S. Senate for over two centuries and is currently misused, affecting its citizens. In short, the filibuster has been used to block progress on many essential issues. As discussed below, the filibuster has numerous negative impacts on citizens, hindering many developments in the country. These effects explain why the filibuster should be terminated for the good of U.S. citizens.
The Filibuster as an Obstacle to Effective Governance
First, the filibuster should be terminated because it is an outdated procedure that no longer serves the interests of the U.S. or its citizens. According to Lau, the filibuster prevents legislation from being brought to a vote, resulting in the passage of harmful measures without public scrutiny (Lau, 2020). A small group of senators can prevent legislation from being discussed or voted on by the entire Senate.
Additionally, the filibuster allows senators to hold up government operations for months or even years, hindering development and resulting in a slower government that cannot respond to critical issues. Lau explains that the filibuster is used to obstruct the nomination of judges and Cabinet members, which can significantly impact the functioning of government scrutiny (Lau, 2020). Some examples of the functioning affected are the inability to appoint judges, the slow response time to federal requests for assistance, and the inability to pass legislation.
The filibuster allows a minority of senators to block legislation from being debated or voted on by the full Senate. This minority can block legislation even if a majority of senators support the legislation. The filibuster has been used to block legislation that would have helped the economy, created jobs, and made progress on significant issues, such as healthcare and immigration. The filibuster is used to block legislation reducing the number of abortions in the U.S., which results in more abortions being performed and more babies dying due to abortion scrutiny (Lau, 2020).
The filibuster has been used for too long and should be reconsidered for elimination. All these effects of the filibuster result in a less efficient government, which can have negative consequences for the U.S. population. Ending the filibuster would help move essential issues forward and make progress for the U.S.
Abolishing the Filibuster in Favor of Negotiation and Compromise
Secondly, the filibuster should be terminated and replaced with another method of negotiation and compromise. Although the filibuster has been a part of the American political process for over 200 years and has been a controversial issue for just as long, it has recently been used more frequently by the minority party in Congress to block legislation with which they disagree. According to Wilkerson, this has led to many gridlocks in Congress and made it difficult for the majority party to get anything done (Wilkerson et al., 2022).
Many people believe the filibuster should be abolished, as it is no longer considered necessary. They argue that the minority party in Congress can now quickly get what they want by using the filibuster, but this is not always true. Sometimes, the majority party can still achieve its goals if it is willing to employ alternative forms of negotiation or compromise.
Others believe the filibuster should be retained because it has been a powerful tool throughout history to protect fundamental rights and freedoms. They point out that our lives would have much more government interference without filibustering. Hence, whether or not to filibuster is up to each senator.
It is vital to remember that the filibuster can only be used once per bill and only lasts for a maximum of two hours (Wilkerson et al., 2022). All senators follow these rules closely, so getting things done is usually no problem. However, if things get too complicated or the discussions become too partisan, the filibuster may become a problem. In that case, it may be necessary to negotiate some compromise or agreement to get things done.
The Filibuster’s Role in Slowing the Legislative Process
Thirdly, the filibuster is a tool that is no longer needed because it is a tool that is used to slow down the legislative process. Gutzman believes that the legislative process should be allowed to move faster so that the American people can have a say in the passed laws. The current legislative process in the United States is prolonged and cumbersome. Laws can take months or even years to pass, and by the time they are finally enacted, they may be significantly different from the original proposal.
Speeding up the legislative process would give Americans greater influence over the enacted laws. This would allow for more informed debates and better legislation, and provide a sense of legitimacy to the process. It would make new laws easier to enact, as lengthy debates and amendments would not bog them down.
Hence, allowing the legislative process to move faster would serve the interests of the American people better than current arrangements do. Therefore, the author believes the filibuster should be eliminated because it is no longer necessary and is slowing the legislative process. The author argues that a filibuster is a tool used to protect certain groups in America. Therefore, the author argues that the filibuster should be eliminated because it no longer serves a purpose and negatively affects American democracy. It can allow a small group to block the majority’s will.
Additionally, it can make it difficult for new ideas to get a fair hearing. The absence of a fair hearing can result in many bad decisions. Therefore, the author argues that eliminating the filibuster would speed up the legislative process and give the American people a more significant say in the laws passed.
Protecting American Democracy by Eliminating the Filibuster
Fourth, Congresswoman Anna Eshoo argues that the filibuster needs to be terminated to save American democracy. She points to the fact that the filibuster has been used increasingly to block progress on essential legislation, including bills related to gun reform, climate change, and voting rights (Eshoo, 2021). This, she argues, has made it difficult for the government to function effectively and has led to growing frustration among the American people.
She provides an example that demonstrates the harmful effects of using the filibuster. In 2013, the Senate passed a bill that would have extended health care benefits to millions of Americans without coverage. However, because some senators used the filibuster, that bill was blocked, and no action was taken (Eshoo, 2021). As a result, millions remain uninsured, and healthcare costs continue to rise.
Eshoo argues that the filibuster is a relic of an earlier era when the Senate was much more diverse and less partisan. She argues that it no longer serves any useful purpose and should be eliminated to make the Senate more responsive to the needs of the American people (Eshoo, 2021). Moreover, Eshoo explains with an example that in 2016, the Senate refused to confirm Judge Merrick Garland as a Supreme Court justice because Republicans did not want Obama to have the opportunity to appoint another liberal judge. This resulted in the current court, which is much more conservative than it would have been if Garland had been confirmed (Eshoo, 2021). While her argument may be persuasive, it will ultimately be up to the American people to decide whether or not to end the filibuster.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the filibuster is a parliamentary procedure that allows a senator to keep a bill from being voted on by the full Senate. It takes a three-fifths majority to overcome a filibuster and pass a bill. For this reason, it has been used to block civil rights legislation, environmental protection measures, and other bills with majority support.
Hence, eliminating the filibuster would make it easier for the majority party to pass legislation and for the Senate to check the executive branch effectively. This change would help to protect civil rights, environmental protection, and other essential policies. Generally, eliminating the filibuster would be a step in the right direction for American democracy.
References
Eshoo, A. (2021). Letting the filibuster stand will break American Democracy. Congresswoman Anna Eshoo. Web.
Gutzman, K. C. (2017). Eliminate the filibuster: Trust the people. The Ripon Society. Web.
Lau, T. (2020). The filibuster explained. Brennan Center for Justice. Web.
Wilkerson, J., Super, D., & Super, J. W. and D. (2022). Debating the filibuster and obstruction in Congress. Divided we Fall. Web.