Politics & Current Events
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The filibuster in recent years has allowed the Senate minority to block routine legislation by requiring 60 votes to end debate. Here are13 significant bills or nominations that received more than 50 votes ? a majority ? but failed to overcome the 60-vote filibuster.
That does not mean these bills would have all become law. They would still have had to pass the House and be signed by the president. However, passing the upper chamber would have put more pressure on the House to act in some cases.
Also, when regular votes in the Senate are 50-50, the vice president votes to break the tie.
Prevent the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating greenhouse gases
After climate change legislation stalled in Congress, the Environmental Protection Agency declared it would use existing air pollution regulations to address greenhouse gas emissions. This bill would have prevented the EPA from doing so. If it were subjected to a majority vote and tied at 50-50, however, Vice President Joe Biden would have been allowed to vote and he presumably would have voted against it.
Failed: 50-50, April 6, 2011, Senate Roll Call No. 54, 112nd Congress, 1st Session
Confirm Goodwin Liu as a U.S. Circuit Court Judge
Goodwin Liu, a law professor at the University of California at Berkeley and former law clerk for Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, was nominated for an appeals court by President Obama. But Republicans objected to his harsh criticism of justices Samuel Alito and John Roberts during their confirmations.
Failed: 52-43, 1 Present, 4 Not Voting, May 19, 2011, Senate Roll Call No. 74, 112nd Congress, 1st Session
End tax breaks for oil companies
This bill would have ended certain tax breaks for large oil companies.
Failed: 52-48, May 17, 2011, Senate Roll Call No. 72, 112nd Congress, 1st Session
President Obama?s 2011 jobs proposal
In an effort to boost the economy in 2011, President Obama proposed a package of measures that would spend money on infrastructure and help state and local governments hire more teachers and police officers, among other things. The package failed, as did several of its components when brought up separately.
Failed: 50-49, 1 Not Voting, Oct. 11, 2011, Senate Roll Call No. 160, 112nd Congress, 1st Session
Hire more teachers and police officers
President Obama proposed giving $30 billion in grants to state and local governments for hiring (or keeping) school teachers and $5 billion for more police officers and emergency personnel as part of a broad jobs package.
Failed: 50-50, Oct. 20, 2011, Senate Roll Call No. 177, 112nd Congress, 1st Session
Spend $60 billion improving transportation infrastructure
President Obama proposed spending $60 billion improving transportation infrastructure such as highways. The bill, which was part of a broad jobs package, also would have created a national infrastructure bank.
Failed: 51-49, Nov. 3, 2011, Senate Roll Call No. 195, 112nd Congress, 1st Session
Approve Richard Cordray as head of the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection
When President Obama couldn?t get Elizabeth Warren through the Senate to head the newly created Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, he nominated former Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray instead. After Republicans filibustered Cordray, Obama named him through a recess appointment that doesn?t last as long as a Senate-approved appointment.
Failed: 53-45, Dec. 8, 2011, Senate Roll Call No. 223, 112nd Congress, 1st Session
Overhaul of the U.S. Postal Service
The U.S. Postal Service has faced mounting financial troubles because of increased use of the Internet. This bill would have allowed it to restructure retirement accounts to recoup $11 billion and use some of that money to encourage 100,000 postal workers to retire.
Failed: 51-46, 3 Not Voting, Senate Roll Call No. 60, 112nd Congress, 2nd Session, March 27, 2012
Repeal tax breaks for oil companies
This bill would repeal some tax breaks for large oil companies and use the money generated to pay for the extension of renewable energy tax credits and incentives.
Failed: 51-47, 2 Not Voting, Senate Roll Call No. 63, 112nd Congress, 2nd Session, March 29, 2012
Raise tax rates on millionaires
This bill would have raised tax rates on taxpayers earning more than $1 million.
Failed: 51-45, 4 Not Voting, Senate Roll Call No. 65, 112nd Congress, 2nd Session, April 23, 2012
Allow victims of gender discrimination to sue for punitive damages
People who discover that their employers have not paid them fairly because of gender discrimination can currently receive back pay if they win a civil lawsuit. This bill would have expanded that to allow them to sue for punitive damages as well.
Failed: 52-47, 1 Not Voting, Senate Roll Call No. 115, 112nd Congress, 2nd Session, June 5, 2012
Requiring more disclosure of election spending
Amid concerns about spending from super PACs this election, Democrats proposed the DISCLOSE Act, which would require groups to disclose contributors that give $10,000 or more for election-related communications, among other things.
Failed: 53-45, Senate Roll Call No. 180, 112nd Congress, 2nd Session, July 17, 2012
End tax deduction for moving jobs overseas
Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich., pictured above) proposed a bill to end a provision in tax law that allows companies to deduct the cost of moving jobs overseas as a business expense. The bill would have given an additional tax credit for moving jobs back to the U.S.
Failed: 56-42, 2 Not Voting, Senate Roll Call No. 181, 112nd Congress, 2nd Session, July 19, 2012
Read more:http://pandce.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=88124#ixzz2BxfVQp5C
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13 things that would have passed without filibuster
I stole this from proboards while dirty lurking.
13 things that would have passed the Senate if there were no filibusterThe filibuster in recent years has allowed the Senate minority to block routine legislation by requiring 60 votes to end debate. Here are13 significant bills or nominations that received more than 50 votes ? a majority ? but failed to overcome the 60-vote filibuster.
That does not mean these bills would have all become law. They would still have had to pass the House and be signed by the president. However, passing the upper chamber would have put more pressure on the House to act in some cases.
Also, when regular votes in the Senate are 50-50, the vice president votes to break the tie.
Prevent the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating greenhouse gases
After climate change legislation stalled in Congress, the Environmental Protection Agency declared it would use existing air pollution regulations to address greenhouse gas emissions. This bill would have prevented the EPA from doing so. If it were subjected to a majority vote and tied at 50-50, however, Vice President Joe Biden would have been allowed to vote and he presumably would have voted against it.
Failed: 50-50, April 6, 2011, Senate Roll Call No. 54, 112nd Congress, 1st Session
Confirm Goodwin Liu as a U.S. Circuit Court Judge
Goodwin Liu, a law professor at the University of California at Berkeley and former law clerk for Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, was nominated for an appeals court by President Obama. But Republicans objected to his harsh criticism of justices Samuel Alito and John Roberts during their confirmations.
Failed: 52-43, 1 Present, 4 Not Voting, May 19, 2011, Senate Roll Call No. 74, 112nd Congress, 1st Session
End tax breaks for oil companies
This bill would have ended certain tax breaks for large oil companies.
Failed: 52-48, May 17, 2011, Senate Roll Call No. 72, 112nd Congress, 1st Session
President Obama?s 2011 jobs proposal
In an effort to boost the economy in 2011, President Obama proposed a package of measures that would spend money on infrastructure and help state and local governments hire more teachers and police officers, among other things. The package failed, as did several of its components when brought up separately.
Failed: 50-49, 1 Not Voting, Oct. 11, 2011, Senate Roll Call No. 160, 112nd Congress, 1st Session
Hire more teachers and police officers
President Obama proposed giving $30 billion in grants to state and local governments for hiring (or keeping) school teachers and $5 billion for more police officers and emergency personnel as part of a broad jobs package.
Failed: 50-50, Oct. 20, 2011, Senate Roll Call No. 177, 112nd Congress, 1st Session
Spend $60 billion improving transportation infrastructure
President Obama proposed spending $60 billion improving transportation infrastructure such as highways. The bill, which was part of a broad jobs package, also would have created a national infrastructure bank.
Failed: 51-49, Nov. 3, 2011, Senate Roll Call No. 195, 112nd Congress, 1st Session
Approve Richard Cordray as head of the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection
When President Obama couldn?t get Elizabeth Warren through the Senate to head the newly created Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, he nominated former Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray instead. After Republicans filibustered Cordray, Obama named him through a recess appointment that doesn?t last as long as a Senate-approved appointment.
Failed: 53-45, Dec. 8, 2011, Senate Roll Call No. 223, 112nd Congress, 1st Session
Overhaul of the U.S. Postal Service
The U.S. Postal Service has faced mounting financial troubles because of increased use of the Internet. This bill would have allowed it to restructure retirement accounts to recoup $11 billion and use some of that money to encourage 100,000 postal workers to retire.
Failed: 51-46, 3 Not Voting, Senate Roll Call No. 60, 112nd Congress, 2nd Session, March 27, 2012
Repeal tax breaks for oil companies
This bill would repeal some tax breaks for large oil companies and use the money generated to pay for the extension of renewable energy tax credits and incentives.
Failed: 51-47, 2 Not Voting, Senate Roll Call No. 63, 112nd Congress, 2nd Session, March 29, 2012
Raise tax rates on millionaires
This bill would have raised tax rates on taxpayers earning more than $1 million.
Failed: 51-45, 4 Not Voting, Senate Roll Call No. 65, 112nd Congress, 2nd Session, April 23, 2012
Allow victims of gender discrimination to sue for punitive damages
People who discover that their employers have not paid them fairly because of gender discrimination can currently receive back pay if they win a civil lawsuit. This bill would have expanded that to allow them to sue for punitive damages as well.
Failed: 52-47, 1 Not Voting, Senate Roll Call No. 115, 112nd Congress, 2nd Session, June 5, 2012
Requiring more disclosure of election spending
Amid concerns about spending from super PACs this election, Democrats proposed the DISCLOSE Act, which would require groups to disclose contributors that give $10,000 or more for election-related communications, among other things.
Failed: 53-45, Senate Roll Call No. 180, 112nd Congress, 2nd Session, July 17, 2012
End tax deduction for moving jobs overseas
Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich., pictured above) proposed a bill to end a provision in tax law that allows companies to deduct the cost of moving jobs overseas as a business expense. The bill would have given an additional tax credit for moving jobs back to the U.S.
Failed: 56-42, 2 Not Voting, Senate Roll Call No. 181, 112nd Congress, 2nd Session, July 19, 2012
Read more:http://pandce.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=88124#ixzz2BxfVQp5C
Maya Avery 3/2011
Re: 13 things that would have passed without filibuster
I find this to be very interesting. All through the election, Obama's detractors (at least on this board!), were constantly screeching that he hasn't done anything. That he hasn't created jobs, reduced the deficit, etc. Perhaps this will enlighten some folks as to how difficult it is to get things done when you have people thwarting progress at every move. It really highlights what is I see as the selfishness of the Republican establishment.
It's at the bottom of the post, CB.
$10 the Obama detracters on this board will just use this as an example of how Obama wasn't able to properly lead the Democratic party.
Thanks, I'll pay better attention next time. Except probably not.
::taps foot::
I would love some input from the conservatives.
It's pretty clear to me from how the Constitution was written that the Senate was never supposed to be able to indefinitely deny Judge nominees an up/down vote by the filibuster. Unfortunately no time line is specifically defined requiring the Senate to vote, but it's a serious overreach by the Senate to not vote on an appointment at all during a session.
Some of the other listed issues I am fine with the filibuster being used. The Senate is supposed to be slow and deliberate and require compromise to get anything done, and the rights of the minority are not supposed to be railroaded by the majority. Unfortunately with how partisan the Senate has gotten the Filibuster has become routine, and rule changes made it too easy to use. I minimally want us to return to the days when someone had to actually stand up and read the phone book to delay a vote.
I'm not conservative, but I can say that the Democrats used the filibuster fairly aggressively in 2005 when they were in the minority. The filibuster rules need to be reformed, and perhaps 60 votes is too high of a bar. But in the era of GW Bush it certainly was nice for the Democrats to have at least one way to slam on the brakes.
This is why it's such a complicated issue for me. I want policy I support to pass, but I want my party to have an option to derail policy that I disagree with.
This makes me think of an issue we just voted on in Michigan. We had one of those proposals asking to change our state consitution to require a 2/3rds majority vote in the state house and senate (or a 2/3 majority vote of the people) to raise taxes. The problem is that while I would have loved that rule last year when the Republican led legislature shifted the state's tax burden from businesses to the middle class, BUT it would suck if the Democrats regained control and could not implement things to make the tax burden more fair. Ugh. You can't win.
I guess I need to do some research on what kind of proposals the Dems filibustered against back then. It just baffles me how all of these jobs proposals were not passed; and I wonder what their rationale was behind it if not just to make Obama a one term president.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/post/the-history-of-the-filibuster-in-one-graph/2012/05/15/gIQAVHf0RU_blog.html