Letters to the Editor: Do away with the filibuster

Do away with the filibuster

Editor,

Year after year, we see politicians in Congress make promises about what they can do for constituents like me. And year after year, the progress is usually less than we hoped for.

The solution is clear: It’s time to get rid of the filibuster — a Senate rule that allows a minority of senators to block any piece of legislation. Democrats have introduced some great bills that would help a vast majority of Americans. Right now, the Senate is deciding whether to pass the For the People Act, for instance, a big reform bill that addresses everything from making voting more accessible and streamlined to getting rid of corruption in government. But the fate of the For the People Act is uncertain as long as it can be filibustered by senators like Ted Cruz and Lindsey Graham.

And that’s only one bill. Imagine all the progress that’s being held up in Congress because the filibuster stands in the way.

For me, for my community, and for communities like mine all across America, I’m asking senators to do away with the filibuster once and for all.

Danielle Schultz

Sanford

We need the filibuster to go

Editor,

Every senator who protects the filibuster is guilty of protecting a Jim Crow relic that was used to block civil rights legislation for decades. There’s simply no way to get around its sinister legacy.

In the 20th century, the filibuster was used to block over 200 anti-lynching bills and held up the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act for 60 days. Over and over again, it’s been a weapon wielded by segregationists and white supremacists. We can’t let the filibuster continue to block the voting and civil rights of black and brown Americans in the year 2021 — which it’s currently poised to do unless we get rid of it.

I hope senators like Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema are acutely aware of this history as they continue to express support for the filibuster. I am urging them and the rest of the Senate to have courage and get rid of the filibuster as soon as possible. A minority of senators shouldn’t be allowed to stop the progress the majority of Americans voted for.

Diane Bairstow

Crestone