latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-sanders-filibuster-20101211,0,2167403.story
latimes.com
Sen. Bernie Sanders launches filibuster against tax cut for the wealthy
Bernie Sanders is partaking in a traditional filibuster, in which he continues speaking without ceding the floor to opponents. His office says he's unlikely to set any filibuster records, though.
By Michael A. Memoli, Tribune Washington Bureau
12:51 PM PST, December 10, 2010
In a rare event, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is holding his ground in the Senate for a traditional filibuster, making a symbolic demonstration against the proposed tax compromise he says would exacerbate income inequality.
Sanders, who caucuses with the Democrats, took to the floor at 10:25 a.m. Friday to "take a strong stand" against the legislation, which was formally introduced Thursday night. He has now held the floor for more than six hours, interrupted only twice for speeches from supportive colleagues.
"I'm not here to set any great records or to make a spectacle. I am simply here today to take as long as I can to explain to the American people the fact that we have got to do a lot better than this agreement provides," he said at the start of his effort.
The filibuster or simply the threat of one has stymied countless legislation in the 111th Congress. Even with a heavy majority, Democrats have often been unable to secure 60 votes needed to invoke cloture. But a filibuster in its traditional sense a marathon speech by a senator or senators hasn't been seen in nearly two decades.
According to the Associated Press, the last true filibuster was mounted in 1992, when then- Sen. Al D'Amato (R-N.Y.) spoke for hours to oppose a change in a tax bill that would have hurt a home-state typewriter company.
D'Amato spoke for 15 hours and 14 minutes; Sanders' office says there is no timetable yet for his speech.
"They won't need to change any plaques in the Strom Thurmond Museum," said spokesman Mike Riggs, referring to the former South Carolina senator who holds the record for longest filibuster, at over 24 hours.
As an attention-grabber, the effort has been successful. A live stream of the speech on Sanders' Senate website drew 12,000 views as of Friday afternoon, crashing the page at one point. His office has been flooded by phone calls as well. "Bernie Sanders" is a trending topic nationally on Twitter as well.
Under Rule XIX of the Senate, senators who have been recognized to speak may do so for as long as they wish, and cannot be forced to cede the floor or even interrupted without their consent, according to the Congressional Research Service.
Sanders has twice deferred to his colleagues for 45 minutes to Sherrod Brown (D- Ohio), and to Mary Landrieu (D-La.) for over a half hour.
"I don't know how I'm going to vote, but I'm not voting quietly," Landrieu said.
Even when he defers to a colleague, Sanders must remain standing on the floor. He also cannot eat he hasn't since arriving at the Capitol at 9 a.m. but is permitted to take sips of water.
Sanders' main objection to the proposed compromise is the extension of tax cuts on income over $250,000. He says it would worsen the growing income imbalance to the benefit of the rich.
His effort comes as a growing collection of senators are seeking to reform the filibuster process. Sens. Tom Hardin (D- Iowa) and Tom Udall (D-N.M.) circulated a letter to their colleagues this week in which historians and Congressional scholars explain that the current filibuster procedure begs for changes.
"Blocking a vote with a filibuster used to be rare and reserved for extreme situations. Today every major bill faces one," Udall's office said. In fact, it contends there have been more filibusters since 2006 than the total between 1920 and 1980.
While successful at drawing attention, Sanders' filibuster is otherwise having little practical impact on Senate business.
"This is a case where he has a lot of sympathy for his point of view on his side of the aisle," said Steven Smith, a professor at Washington University in St. Louis who has studied the filibuster. "For him to take a day to express that point of view probably is considered to be a minor cost."