In his first press conference since the election, Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said that the Senate will be taking up filibuster reform this session.
The Huffington Post reports that although Reid didn't say he would get rid of the filibuster entirely, he emphasized that new reforms would make it more difficult for Republicans to be as obstructionist as they have been. "I have said so publicly, and I continue to feel that way ... I think the rules have been abused, and we are going to work to change them," he said. "We will not do away with the filibuster, but we will make the Senate a more meaningful place. We are going to make it so we can get things done."
"The first thing is the most important thing," Reid continued. "Do away with the motion to proceed. Just do away with it. I favor the filibuster. There's a reason for the filibuster. I understand it. It's to protect the rights of the minority. The Senate was set up to protect the rights of the minority ... so that's the no. 1 issue, and the rest of the stuff we can deal with if there's a filibuster conducted. Those are the kind of things -- if we get the motion to proceed out of the way, we can debate it, one, to cloture. That's good. So that's the no. 1 biggie."
Shares