Filibuster Must be Saved

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jessica Causey (jmc3p@mtsu.edu)
Communications Director, TN Federation of College Democrats
April 26, 2005

(Nashville, TN)--The filibuster draws on several images, the most memorable being Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. Senators, Democrats and Republicans have used the filibuster. Senators use the filibuster as a means to make sure that harmful legislation or appointments do not get through. Sunday, Tennessee Senator, Bill Frist addressed the American people calling for the end of the filibuster in appointing judges contend that opposition to judicial nominees by Senate Democrats is essentially opposition to faith and faith-based moral values.

Conservative Republicans wish to use the Nuclear Option to halt all debate on the floor. The Nuclear Option allows for the majority leader to call on the President of the Senate, Dick Cheney, to end debate and call for a vote.

This is a move by the Bush Administration to get the Conservative Judicial nominees onto the Federal Bench. These judges will preside over cases dealing with Civil Rights, rights to privacy, a woman's right to choose, religious freedoms, etc. Republicans have exaggerated the number of judges seeking approval. Democrats and Republicans have voted for the majority of Bush's nominees. A few judges concern Democrats as well as some Republicans. According to Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV):

If Republicans are successful at abusing their power and changing the rules in the middle of the game, America will have no power and changing the rules in the middle of the game, America will have no power to stop a handful of radical right-wing Republicans from steamrolling our system of checks and balances and stacking the courts.

For over 100 years, the Senate has used the filibuster to filter out legislation and judicial nominations that would harm the country and the Constitution. Putting an end to the filibuster, would undermine the checks and balance system that the framers of our constitution put in place. In an age where Congressional Leader's ethics are being questioned, checks and balances must remain in place.