Democracy or "Filibustocracy" - Which Will Senate Republicans Choose?

From a New York Times editorial late last month regarding presidential nominations: “Earlier this month, during one of his new across-the-aisle good-will tours, President Obama pleaded with Senate Republicans to ease up on their record number of filibusters of his nominees.  He might as well have been talking to one of the statues in the Capitol. Republicans have made it clear that erecting hurdles for Mr. Obama is, if anything, their overriding legislative goal.”

what eye thynk:    Now, the Republican Filibuster Festival has moved on to the question of gun control.  Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell announced on Monday that he will join Rand Paul, Ted Cruz and ten other Republican senators in their promise to filibuster any legislation on gun control.  

Think about that.  Thirteen men have decided that they, and only they, will decide the issue of new gun control in this country--not you, not me, not the 90% of Americans who favor the passage of new gun control measures, not Senate Democrats, not even their fellow Senate Republicans--just these thirteen men.  Their plan is to stand and prohibit debate and block any vote on this issue until it simply goes away.

Even John McCain, who has been a little off the wall on other issues lately, has come down on the side of common sense when it comes to filibustering the debate on gun control.  "The purpose of the United States Senate is to debate and to vote and to let the people know where we stand…I don't understand it.  What are we afraid of?"

These thirteen men object to any measure that may, in Rand Paul’s words, “infringe on the American people’s constitutional right to bear arms”.  

Well, what about my constitutional right to be heard?  My voice may be faint, it may be filtered through layers of lobbyists that surround my Senator, but that one Senator still represents MY constitutional right to cast a vote on any issue before the Senate.  And these thirteen men want to take that right away.

Speaking in Newtown on Monday, President Obama spoke of the need for “common sense” gun control, written with respect for the Second Amendment, but that tragedies like Newtown, Aurora and Portland demand, at the very least, a vote from Congress.

“If our democracy’s working the way it’s supposed to and 90 percent of the American people agree on something, in the wake of a tragedy, you’d think this would not be a heavy lift. And yet some folks back in Washington are already floating the idea that they may use political stunts to prevent votes on any of these reforms,” President Obama said. “They’re not just saying they’ll vote no on ideas that almost all Americans support.  They’re saying they’ll do everything they can to even prevent any votes on these provisions. They’re saying your opinion doesn’t matter.”

I realize that new gun control laws will have little effect on gun violence in this country in our immediate future; but I still believe we have to make a start.  

Personally, I support universal background checks, the banning of assault weapons and the limiting of magazine size.  I want Congress to debate and to vote on these issues.  When the votes are counted, the measures will have passed and we will have new gun controls or they will have failed and we won’t. That is the way Democracy is supposed to work.

These thirteen men shouldn't be permitted to stand in the way.

                        The Filibuster 13:

                        Sen. Rand Paul (R-Kentucky)

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas)

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Florida)

  Sen. James Inhofe (R-Oklahoma)

Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kansas)

Sen. Pat Roberts, (R-Kansas)

Sen. Richard Burr (R-North Carolina)

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin)

Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyoming)

Sen. James Risch (R-Idaho)

Sen. Mike Crapo (R- Idaho)

Sen. Dan Coats (R-Indiana)

Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky)

Don't let them silence your voice.  Contact your Senator here:
www.contactingthecongress.org