2021-06-24 12:03:46
Pressure is growing on Democrats to abolish the Senate filibuster in order to pass a major voting rights bill and other legislation.
Republicans this week used the filibuster to prevent debate on the For the People Act, which would restore the protections of the 1965 Voting Rights Act gutted by the Supreme Court eight years ago.
Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon, who is a lead sponsor of the For the People Act and self-described “Chief Filibuster Antagonist,” says Republicans have broken the Senate’s “social contract” of bipartisan cooperation in favor of total obstruction of all Democratic priorities.
“The majority makes the decision, not the minority,” he adds. Meanwhile, as much of the Pacific Northwest faces record-shattering temperatures, 30 degrees or more above average, including Merkley’s home state of Oregon, lawmakers in Washington continue to negotiate over an infrastructure bill Democrats say needs to include major new funding to address the climate crisis.
Merkley explains why he said, “If there’s no climate, there’s no deal.”
Democracy Now! produces a daily, global, independent news hour hosted by award-winning journalists Amy Goodman and Juan González. lOur reporting includes breaking daily news headlines and in-depth interviews with people on the front lines of the world’s most pressing issues.
On DN!, you’ll hear a diversity of voices speaking for themselves, providing a unique and sometimes provocative perspective on global events.
Missed an episode? Check out DN on FSTV VOD anytime or visit the show page for the latest clips.
#FreeSpeechTV is one of the last standing national, independent news networks committed to advancing progressive social change.
#FSTV is available on Dish, DirectTV, AppleTV, Roku, Sling, and online at freespeech.org.
Economy
Related
Sign up for Our Newsletter
Get updates about the policies and topics that matter the most to you. Progressive news directly to your email.
