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“And Scott Brown, Republican senator of Massachusetts sworn in now, has wiped out the Democrats' 60 vote filibuster-proof majority in the Senate. So, any jobs bill they work on up here has got to be bi-partisan or it’s going no place.” (CNBC)
A filibuster slows or stops a Senate vote by lengthening its discussion. Now some are concerned about whether Democrats will be able to push through legislation and key appointments Republicans oppose.
We’re looking at perspectives from MSNBC, CNBC, CNN, and Slate.
First, MSNBC reports that most Americans aren't even aware of what a filibuster is.
“The truth of the matter is, the American people don’t care what a filibuster is. … There’s a new Pew center poll that says they don’t even know what those things are. What they care about is whether their kids, whether their parents, whether they have health care.”
Scott Brown's swearing in to replace Democrat Ted Kennedy gives Republicans the 41 votes needed to stop President Barack Obama’s legislation. CNN reports the president’s filibuster frustrations.
“Senate Republicans have tried to employ the filibuster more over the past year than in all of the 1950s and 1960s combined. ...’If you want to govern, you can't just say no,’ he argued… The filibuster...only works as intended if there is a ‘genuine spirit of compromise.’”
Chris Matthews on MSNBC says that Democrats and Republicans need to work together to get past the stalemate.
“I am an absolute believer we need to get our government working right. That’s the most important thing. More important than health care, more important than anything else is to get our democracy functioning again.”
So, what do you think? Should Repubicans use the filibuster? Should the Senate change the rules?
Writer: Amanda Heisey
Producer: Brent Davidson
