{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.rickscott.senate.gov/2026/8/sen-rick-scott-in-the-wall-street-journal-filibuster-abuse-has-destroyed-senate-debate", "Sen. Rick Scott in The Wall Street Journal: \u201cFilibuster Abuse Has Destroyed Senate Debate\u201d", "2026-08-06", "2026", "2026-08", "Republican", "Senate", "FL", "Rick Scott", "S001217", "www.rickscott.senate.gov", "rickscott", "https://www.rickscott.senate.gov/press-releases/", "page_html", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Rick Scott published a letter to the editor in The Wall Street Journal titled, \u201cFilibuster Abuse Has Destroyed Senate Debate\u201d In his letter, Senator Scott shows how the Senate filibuster has failed to force debate, compromise, and results\u2014and why it needs to go.\n\nSenator Rick Scott wrote, \u201cAbuse of the filibuster has stifled open debate in the chamber. It prevents, by design, the results that voters expect us to deliver.\u201d\n\n\u2026\n\n\u201cModern majority leaders file cloture before debate begins. The agenda changes at the threat of debate. The iconic final scene from the film \u2018Mr. Smith Goes to Washington\u2019 rarely occurs.\u201d\n\n\u2026\n\n\u201cIn 1964 opponents of the Civil Rights Act attempted to stop the legislation with a filibuster. The bill\u2019s supporters were initially far short of the 67 votes needed to break the filibuster. But by forcing open debate, the Senate finally forced an answer on Jim Crow.\u201d\n\n\u2026\n\n\u201cThe filibuster is a muscle we never exercise. It has atrophied. Senators have lost the implicit understanding that a debate needs to happen before it can end. This legislative body needs to deliver results, not fail while adhering to a prohibitive process. We should end the filibuster and pass the SAVE America Act\u2014or require debate until exhaustion or satisfaction.\u201d\n\nSenator Scott wrote in response to an op-ed published by his colleague U.S. Senator John Curtis (R-Utah) last week arguing to preserve the filibuster.\n\nRead the full letter HERE.\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"]], "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://www.rickscott.senate.gov/2026/8/sen-rick-scott-in-the-wall-street-journal-filibuster-abuse-has-destroyed-senate-debate"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.7490729913115501, "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"}