Democrats Seek Changes to Senate Procedures - NYTimes.com
In a letter to Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the majority leader, Democratic senators expressed “strong sentiment” for ending what they see as Republican misuse of Senate process.
“We believe the current abuse of the rules by the minority threatens the ability of the Senate to do the necessary work of the nation, and we urge you to take steps to bring these abuses of our rules to an end,” said the Dec. 18 letter signed by 56 Democrats and independents, including all the other Democratic senators remaining in the Congress that opens Jan. 5.
Republicans have cautioned against any unilateral move to rewrite Senate procedure, saying Democrats would regret it if they fell back into the minority.
“You don’t want to create a freight train running through the Senate like it does in the House, because in two years it might be the Tea Party Express,” said Senator Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, the No. 3 Senate Republican. “We need a change in behavior more than a change in rules.”
