If you’re like me, you’re fed up with what's been happening in Congress lately.

Most of the time, important legislation addressing the tough issues we face never reaches the Senate floor.

The reason? Misuse and abuse of the filibuster—a tactic originally used to empower opponents of a bill to extend debate on the measure.

Today senators regularly hold “silent” filibusters that have stopped important legislation—measures to create good jobs, protect workers’ rights, shape a commonsense immigration process and more—without ever having to stand on the floor of the Senate to explain why.

Send a message urging Sen. Orrin Hatch and Sen. Mike Lee to support rules reform to restore the talking filibuster and keep corporate politicians from blocking important legislation.

Many senators are as frustrated as we are with this lack of progress. Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Tom Udall (D-N.M.) have introduced Senate Resolution 4 to fix the problem. S. Res. 4 replaces the silent filibuster with the “talking” filibuster to ensure senators who oppose a bill have to speak on the Senate floor to explain their objections.

Believe me, this filibuster abuse is a real problem. Bills that would have stopped rewarding corporations for outsourcing jobs, made it easier for workers to organize for a voice on the job, required corporations to disclose contributions to politicians, ended subsidies to big oil companies and other critical initiatives all passed the House and had majority support in the Senate. But they didn’t become law because of the silent filibuster.

It’s pretty ridiculous that one senator can hold any bill hostage and not have to at least explain to colleagues or voters why.

We must fix the filibuster if we’re going to create jobs, stop cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid benefits and end tax loopholes for Wall Street and the richest 2%.

E-mail Sen. Orrin Hatch and Sen. Mike Lee right now to make sure they don’t stay silent on supporting rules reform:

go.aflcio.org/fix-the-filibuster

In Solidarity,

Nicole Aro
Digital Strategies Director, AFL-CIO