{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398643", "Congressman Griffith's Weekly E-Newsletter 11.4.16", "2016-11-04", "2016", "2016-11", "Republican", "House", "VA", "Morgan Griffith", "G000568", "morgangriffith.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Restore the Historic Filibuster\r\nTrue or False: The American government is a majority-rule Republic based on democratic principles, as stated in the Constitution and taught in school.\u00a0 \r\nMaybe.\u00a0 Maybe not.\r\nIn the U.S. Senate, this is currently false!\u00a0 Due to the modern filibuster/cloture hold rules (hereinafter referred to as a filibuster), it takes a supermajority to even bring a bill up for debate. \r\nOnce dubbed the \u201cgreatest deliberative body in the world,\u201d today\u2019s Senate uses secretive, technical procedures to avoid deliberation and avoid tough votes.\u00a0 \r\nI know the House is not perfect, but I am working to change it.\u00a0 In the current Congress, approximately 700 bills came out of the House and some 550 of those unattended bills died a lonely death in the dark and dusty Senate basement. \r\nThe filibuster was intended to provide a Senator with an emergency brake.\u00a0 If an issue was important enough, a Senator could speak as long as they physically could manage, unless a supermajority ended the debate.\u00a0 \r\nHowever, the modern filibuster was established by rules changes in the 1970s.\u00a0 The new rule allows any member to begin the filibuster process with a secret hold, with no physical presence.\u00a0 Without a supermajority of 60 votes, the hold remains and the legislation dies.\r\nIn the meantime, the Senator performing the \u201cfilibuster\u201d can head to their favorite steak house, attend a fancy fundraiser, or go home.\r\nAnd legislatively, nothing is getting done. \r\nI do not advocate eliminating the filibuster, but I do support a return to the historical process that existed prior to the 1970s, when a filibuster required the physical presence of a Senator.\u00a0\r\nWhen the rule was first changed in the 1970s, it was not abused.\u00a0 But starting in the late 1990s or early 2000s, both parties have abused the modern filibuster process.\u00a0 \u00a0It is my opinion that Senators in the 1970s tired of the required physical presence required to filibuster, and agreed to the new rules with an understanding that it wouldn\u2019t be abused.\u00a0 At first it wasn\u2019t, but now it is routine to abuse the rule.\r\nUnder the historic filibuster rule, if a Senator feels strongly enough about an issue, she can pull the emergency brake, stand on the floor of the Senate, and tell the American people why this bill should not pass or even be voted on.\r\nPicture the impassioned scene of Jimmy Stewart\u2019s filibuster in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, of Ted Cruz reading Green Eggs and Ham for a filibuster to defund Obamacare, or Rand Paul and the #standwithRand hashtag to protest the Patriot Act.\u00a0 \r\nIf a Senator is so passionate about an issue that they are willing to take the floor for hours or days, then it is appropriate to use the filibuster.\r\nAs I write, it is prior to Election Day and none of us know who will control the Senate after the election.\u00a0 But whoever controls the Senate should eliminate the modern filibuster rule and return to the historic rule.\r\nRestoring the historic filibuster rule will create more tough votes for legislators in both the House and Senate.\u00a0 But, as lawmakers, we were elected to take tough votes.\u00a0 If Democrats gain control of the Senate, they will pass bills I don\u2019t like.\u00a0 But the will of the voters must be done if we are to remain a Republic based on democratic principles.\u00a0 It will be my job in the House to defeat the crazy measures the Senate might pass.\u00a0 And if the voters don\u2019t like what the Senate actually accomplishes, it will be their job to defeat those Senators, whether Republican or Democrat, in the next election.\u00a0 More votes taken will give constituents the opportunity to know where their representatives stand and hold them accountable.\r\nWhichever party is in control, I will continue to push this reform, because it is in keeping with principles upon which this country was founded.\u00a0 Further, you can\u2019t run a government with divided responsibilities, as is contemplated in a Republic, if one of the branches of government (in this case the Senate) barely functions. \r\nThe Founding Fathers never intended for the majority of the Senate\u2019s business to be able to be blocked by a minority.\u00a0 \r\nRestoring the historic filibuster would be a huge step to restoring Congress\u2019 ability to build consensus and compromise, reassert itself as a co-equal branch of government, and produce legislation the American people need, want, and deserve.\r\nIf you have questions, concerns, or comments, feel free to contact my office.\u00a0 You can call my Abingdon office at 276-525-1405 or my Christiansburg office at 540-381-5671.\u00a0 To reach my office via email, please visit my website at\u00a0www.morgangriffith.house.gov.\u00a0 Also on my website is the latest material from my office, including information on votes recently taken on the floor of the House of Representatives.###", 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": ["http://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398643"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8014240302145481, "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"}