{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://lee.house.gov/news/press-releases/barbara-lee-blasts-attempt-to-change-filibuster-rule", "Barbara  Lee Blasts Attempt to Change Filibuster Rule", "2005-05-17", "2005", "2005-05", "Democrat", "House", "CA", "Barbara Lee", "L000551", "lee.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "05.17.05\n\t\t\t Barbara  Lee Blasts Attempt to Change Filibuster Rule \n\t\t\tJoins Hip Hop Caucus in Opposing Republican Abuse of Power    (Washington, DC)   Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) blasted efforts to do away with the filibuster as another example of Republican party abuse of power at a press conference organized by hip hop and youth activists on Capitol Hill today.  Lee was joined by Representatives Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-OH), Linda Sanchez (D-CA) and Kendrick Meek (D-FL) as well as representatives of the Hip Hop Caucus, a coalition that includes Rock The Vote, League of Pissed Off Voters, Citizen Change, Hip Hop Convention, Hip Hop Voices, Hip Hop Congress, Hip Hop Summit Action Network, and Black Youth Vote.  Her statement follows:I want to talk to you about abuse of power, because that is really what is going on here. Congressional Republicans continue to abuse their power here on Capitol Hill.  They have chosen a very partisan course, and we must fight back. Here in the house, for example, the Republican leadership ignored protocol and weakened the ethics rules in the House without ever consulting the Democrats.  Everyone here knows that ethics changes can't be successful unless both parties play a role.  Now Republicans in the Senate, not to be outdone by their counterparts in the House, plan to change the rules on the filibuster that have been in place for more than 200 years, rules that give the minority a voice in Washington.  Talk about an extreme abuse of power.  Republican attempts to do away with the filibuster are really about getting rid of the last check on one party rule here in Washington.  When are the Republicans going to learn that their absolute power here on Capitol Hill is really corrupting their every action?  Ending the filibuster threatens democracy by shutting down dissent. There is a lot of talk about spreading democracy abroad, but I think we need to begin by preserving it here at home.  That means protecting the minority party rights, ending this attempt to change the rules and stopping once and for all this egregious Republican abuse of power. ###\r\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n \n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://lee.house.gov/news/press-releases/barbara-lee-blasts-attempt-to-change-filibuster-rule"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.1522960849106312, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}