We all know about the filibuster, right? If not, we can jump over to Louise Fozard's excellent article, The Filibuster -- What's Happening, of 6 May to find out everything you needed to know and then some! Thanks, Louise.
We also all know that Senators Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema and some not-so-well-known others are against modifying the filibuster in pursuit of some mythical bipartisanship with the Republicans even though no one has yet been able to come up with more than seven GOP senators who might could have a remote possibility of voting for cloture on a Democrat bill. And, now that Mitch McQonnell has said that he's 100% for stopping Joe Biden's agenda from passing and will block any Biden SCOTUS nominee if he becomes Senate Majority Leader in 2023, is there any question that the only partisanship McQonnell the Republicans are interested in is unipartisanship?
What we don't know is what we, the rank and file, average Democratic, progressive, liberal voter can do to help free us from the tyranny of the filibuster. Good news, y'all, there is something you and me and everyone of us can do that will help: you can call YOUR senators and urge them to do one of three things depending on who your senators are.
If one or both of your senators are good progressive liberal types who support abolishing or modifying the filibuster, you can call them and urge them to lobby Manchin, Sinema, and any of the other pro-filibuster crowd. Elected officials will listen to the opinions of their constituents and if there is enough of them calling with a consensus position on an issue, they will support it. What they don't do, though, is listen to other elected officials constituents. So, don't call Manchin, Sinema, or anyone else who isn't your senator. They will also listen to their colleagues and friends in the senate. So, call YOUR senator, and if they support ending or modifying the filibuster, ask them to lobby the senators that don't.
If one or both of your senators are "moderate" Democrats who support the filibuster, ask them to change their position. Briefly explain that even if Sens Tim Scott and Shelly Moore Capito are negotiating in good faith and are as sincere and honest as the driven virgin snow, McQonnell isn't. He's made it clear that he isn't going to allow the Biden's legislative agenda to pass because he knows that if the Democrats are successful in governing, they are likely to hold onto Congress in 2022. The only way that the Democrats can pass legislation that helps the American people and have a chance of reversing the historical trend of the party in power losing in the mid-terms, is to abolish or modify the filibuster. It is as simple as that.
And, if one or both of your senators are Republicans, you should be asking them to be that tenth vote supporting a cloture vote. Let them know that their seat may not be as safe as they think it is. Let them know that they have constituents that are involved and organized and working against them unless they are willing to put the bi in bipartisanship and vote like it.
Those are your marching orders! That's what we have to do to help save our democracy. We have to pass the Biden legislative agenda. The only way to do that is to abolish or modify the filibuster, and the only way to do that is to pressure your senators into it.
If you're like me, you have your senators on speed dial because you are calling their offices every week, but if you're not like me and need some help finding their contact information, you can give good old Stacey Abrams a call at 1-888-453-3211 to find your senators contact information. She and Fair Fight Action have organized the Hot Call Summer campaign urging people to call everyday to support the passage of the For the People Act. I figure it can't hurt to talk to YOUR senators about ending or abolishing the filibuster, too. Go ahead. Give 'em a call. And, then tell us about it in the comments!