A letter to DiFi about filibuster reform
28 Jul 2010Just in case you’re a Californian and wanted to write her a letter, here’s the URL: http://feinstein.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContactUs.EmailMe
Below the break is the letter I wrote. Feel free to borrow as much as you need:
Dear Senator Feinstein,
In my morning troll of the news, I was disturbed to notice reporting which said that you had taken a position against reform of the filibuster. As one of your constituents, I would urge you to reconsider that stance. Already, the Senate is markedly undemocratic. The minority obstruction enabled by the filibuster only makes the situation worse.
Perhaps you’re thinking strategically, looking forward to the next time your party is in the minority, but I believe this thinking to be short-sighted. While it is true that an obstructing minority benefits from the failures of the ruling party, in the longer term these failures and compromises hurt the country by obstructing the true costs and benefits of the policies favored by each party.
Apart from strategic concerns, there is the real harm that the filibuster causes and continues to cause, each and every day. In the sidebar of the page where I am writing this letter, there is a link to your statement about stopping global warming, possibly the most important issue of our time. Yet the filibuster, and practically nothing else, has stopped the Senate from even considering an effective bill to complement the bill passed by the house last year.
Once again, I urge you to reconsider your stance and to raise your voice in support of returning the Senate to its tradition of majority rule.
Sincerely, < My name > < The place in California I live >