By Senator Gordon H. Smith and Martin B. Gold | Monday, October 7, 2024
Bare majorities should not be deciding questions of fundamental change for our country. The goal should be to pass broadly popular legislation, not the most extreme policy that can get through with the narrowest possible vote. The filibuster requires senators to pursue the former approach, at least if they want their bills to become law.
Read MoreBy Senators Sheldon Whitehouse & Bill Cassidy | Thursday, August 1, 2024
America was founded by extraordinary individuals who engaged in spirited debate and then came together to build a more perfect union. That was true 248 years ago, and it is still our ideal today. Solution-oriented leaders who are willing to work across the aisle can work through differences through respectful, robust debate.
Read MoreBy Sens. Chris Coons (D-DL) and Marco Rubio (R-FL) | Wednesday, October 25, 2023
Neither of us is calling for a go-along-to-get-along attitude that ignores the very real divisions in our country. However, we are committed to rebuilding and strengthening America. We disagree, sometimes strongly, on the best approach to do that, but we both agree that failure is not an option.
Read MoreBy Matt Sandgren | Tuesday, October 10, 2023
One of the most important laws Congress has enacted, the RFRA protects the rights of all Americans, regardless of faith.
Read MoreBy Bruce A. Percelay, Adam Hinds, Matt Sandgren, & Margaret Spellings | Friday, September 29, 2023
Business hates uncertainty. And there is no condition that can create more uncertainty than the deep divide in our country. Partisan politics has gone beyond Capitol Hill and has now leached into the business world. The question is, what can be done about it?
Read MoreBy Matt Sandgren | Tuesday, July 11, 2023
Hatch, McConnell and Chao have all achieved tremendous success in their public service. But they always remembered where they came from and the people they were called to serve.
Read MoreBy Gordon Smith | Sunday, May 14, 2023
Many people — too many people, in my view — see the legislative filibuster through a situational lens. When it leads to outcomes you like, it’s great. When it leads to outcomes you don’t like, it’s terrible. This is the wrong way to think about the legislative filibuster.
Read MoreBy Matt Sandgren and Benji Backer | Friday, May 5, 2023
Conservatives are not only capable of addressing environmental challenges, but are the ones best suited to do so…It’s time for conservatives to steer the conversation on climate change.
Read MoreBy Matt Sandgren | Thursday, March 23, 2023
There could be a genuine opportunity this year for lawmakers to make meaningful progress on police reform. Misguided calls to defund the police, reduce the size of police forces, or curtail officers’ ability to respond to threatening situations are not the answer. Instead, conversations should focus on trust, training, and accountability.
Read MoreBy Martin B. Gold | Thursday, February 9, 2023
In their frustration with the filibuster, critics fail to grasp its true purpose. The filibuster is not an enemy to good governance but what makes it possible in the first place. It is a bulwark against polarization, a tool for bipartisanship and the defining characteristic of the U.S. Senate as an institution.
Read MoreBy Gordon H. Smith | Friday, January 27, 2023
The filibuster is more important than any short-term political agenda. And if we lose it, we lose a bulwark protecting the Senate from even greater polarization
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