Change filibuster to put senators’ votes on record

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, January 19, 2022

I was taught in school that the six-year term of a U.S. senator is supposed to shield them from highly emotional current events. They can vote on the merits of a bill and not on its current appeal. Members of both parties now say that we must retaliate against the other side just because they are the opposition.

There have been calls in the last decade from both parties that the filibuster needs to be removed. Thus, the current majority can have its view of what is best for their country.

Currently, I do not support the removal of the Senate filibuster. However, I do support immediate changes in the rules. Now a single senator can block nominations from even being considered, a single senator can secretly stop a bill from being voted on, a single senator gets to decide what bills are heard. Most media sources emphasize which party is doing the blocking; not the single senator who has power all out of proportion.

Change the Senate rules and force senators to publicly vote on a bill. Hopefully, the electorate can then use a senator’s voting record when we vote.

If the voters refuse to use voting records, to decide whether a senator walks the talk then perhaps our elected representative government is a failed experiment. The voters will have to take responsibility for the government they leave their children. Voters will no longer be able to look their children in the eye and say, “it’s all their fault.”

Gary McCaig

Lynnwood