Michael Bennet is having a good couple of weeks. First, he starts a letter on including the public option in the budget reconciliation "fix" to the Senate heath reform bill which 34 Senators have signed. Now, he is proposing both lobbying and filibuster reform:
Joining a growing number of lawmakers angry at Washington, U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet today will announce an ambitious set of reforms to change many of the rules under which his colleagues work, including an effort to restrict earmarks and limit the filibuster.(...)
But the kicker is the call to restructure the filibuster, a tool that has been wielded with devastating effect in the past year by Republicans and moderate Democrats.
Bennet, who is up for election this fall and faces a primary challenge from Andrew Romanoff, would reduce the majority required to overcome a filibuster to 55 votes after specific conditions were met.
More momentum for filibuster reform. And once again, it comes from a member of Evan Bayh's moderate working group, showing that reform is not just supported by the more progressive elements of the Senate caucus. Eight of the twenty-two Senators who are either members of Evan Bayh's moderate working group or or the Senate New Democratic coalition have now come out in favor of reform. Currently, 36% of those two groups have come out in favor of reform, compared to only 27% (10 of 37) of the rest of the Senate Democratic caucus.
Here is the updated, and cleaned up (I had been getting sloppy and making inaccurate counts and links), filibuster reform whip count chart:
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Filibuster Reform Whip Count
50 Senators who are currently safe bets for being in Senate in 2011
Potential Senators in 2011
Note: While Evan Bayh also favors some sort of filibuster reform, he is retiring and the opportunity for reform comes on the first day the Senate is in session in 2011. On that day, only 50 votes, plus the Vice-President, are required to change Senate rules. Right now, depending on the outcome of the 2010 elections, among Senators who will be around in 2011, there are at least 18, and as many as 22, in favor of some sort of reform.
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The 51-vote Senate proposals given by Senators Tom Harkin and Tom Udall are preferred. However, as long as there are 51 Senators in favor of some sort of reform on the first day the Senate is in session in 2011, then there will be some sort of reform. And even some sort of reform is a very good thing.
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