Washington, DC – Despite support from a majority of 54 Senators, the U.S. Senate failed to invoke cloture on the S.J. Res 19 “Democracy for All” amendment, blocking it from advancing to a final vote. In response, the Fix the Senate Now coalition issued the following statement:
Fix the Senate Now
Fix the Senate Now
Washington, DC – The U.S. Senate will be in session for just several more weeks before this November’s midterm elections. While few observers expect major breakthroughs on legislation in the interim, the Senate has the opportunity and responsibility to move past obstruction and to address a spate of important vacancies.
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Washington, DC – Last Friday, a Politico story by Burgess Everett offered a reminder why last November’s rules reform were an essential step forward for the chamber:
“The Senate barely does anything these days — except approve judges that could shape the law for a generation.
Fix the Senate Now
Washington, DC – Before the Senate departed for its August recess, Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Robert Menendez (D-NJ) attempted to confirm two dozen foreign service officers to fill vacant ambassadorships in countries throughout the world. However, Senate Republicans blocked all two dozen of these potential confirmations.
Fix the Senate Now
Washington, DC – Al Kamen and Colby Itkowitz write in a Washington Post piece titled, “Senate Clock is Ticking as Nominees Wait on Their Fate,” of the disturbing backlog of ambassadors and other executive branch nominees waiting on the U.S.
Fix the Senate Now
July 24, 2014
To: Interested Parties
From: Fix the Senate Now
Re: Senate Gridlock & Senate Reform
Fix the Senate Now
Washington, DC – Yesterday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) blasted Senate Republicans’ continued “obstruction for obstruction’s sake,” noting that Senate Republicans "put up roadblock after roadblock" and seek to waste the maximum amount of Senate time in the confirmation of even non-controversial nominees.
Fix the Senate Now
Washington, DC – An important new read in the energy and environmental publication Greenwire, titled “Top jobs vacant as nominees languish in confirmation limbo,” highlights how Senate Republicans’ obstruction has blocked a series of key energy and environmental nominees from receiving a vote in the Senate, causing these important executive branch jobs to remain unfilled.
Fix the Senate Now
And Why Mitch McConnell’s Complaints about Senate Gridlock Are like Luis Suarez Complaining about Biting in Soccer
Fix the Senate Now
Washington, DC – The U.S. Senate has made significant advances in recent weeks toward reducing the judicial backlog and confirming judges to fill key vacancies. Building on the success of last November’s Senate rules changes, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and Senate Democrats have met Republican obstruction head-on, made nominations a priority, and filled an array of vacancies – including 22 judicial nominees confirmed during just the most recent Senate work period alone.