A few days ago, the author called for filibuster reform in the Senate, a move which is to be introduced by Senator Tom Udall of New Mexico on opening day of the Senate on January 5.
Former Vice President Walter Mondale, in an op-ed in the New York Times, has now called for the same reforms that the author suggested: 55 Senators instead of 60 to stop a filibuster; a filibuster must be conducted by Senators staying on the floor of the Senate, not just by threat; and no more “secret holds” by one Senator to prevent action on a nomination or a bill.
Action by the full Senate this Wednesday could change the course of history of the next two years of the Obama Presidency, and make the Senate a functioning body, instead of a malfunctioning institution, which stands in the way of progress and action.
The eyes of the nation will be focused on what happens on Wednesday, and hopefully, Vice President Joe Biden, who also sees the essential need for reform, will help push it through by parliamentary maneuvers and the power of his leadership and connections with both parties of the Senate, with his 36 years of distinguished service in the upper body!