In an op-ed published in USA Today , U.S. Sen. Tom Udall (NM) explains his effort to utilize the Constitutional Option to reform Senate rules and help end the unprecedented abuse of the filibuster.
Here are some highlights:
"Today, all it takes for one senator to derail a bill and tie the Senate in procedural knots is a phone call," Udall said. "A growing number of my colleagues and I want reform. We believe that if a senator is going to grind the chamber to a halt, he or she should be required to hold the floor and explain the reasons why to the American people."
Read the full op-ed here .
"Democrats, Republicans and Independents agree that the Senate is a broken body. Before the new session of Congress commences, we should join together to make it a more meaningful institution and adopt rules that make sense no matter which party is in the minority or majority.
"It's time for the Senate to change the way it does business. Our nation can ill afford continued gridlock. The stakes are too high. The challenges are too great. Come January, we must use our constitutional authority to restore functionality to the Senate and move forward on the work the American people demand of us."
