The United States Senate is suppose to be the most deliberative legislative body in the World as well as the upper chamber in the US Congress. The theory being that the children in the US House rush to pass legislation in a partisan way with very little. If any input from the minority responding to their constituents about whatever the latest crisis that happens so. They can tell their constituents that they responded to whatever the latest concern is and then that legislation. Would go over to the US Senate where the adults would takeover, cooler heads would prevail and more sensible legislation. With a Bi Partisan vote would pass, thats what minority rights is suppose to mean in the US Senate, that the. Majority can't run over the minority but where both sides are generally suppose to work together to get legislation passed. Not where the minority runs the Senate, which is what recently the Senate has looked like where the. Republican Minority in the Senate led by Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has used his power to not work. With Senate Democrats but to get and do things the way he wants them done, which is not how the Senate is suppose to operate.
No one except for maybe the far left in the Democratic Party is calling for the Senate to eliminate minority rights. Or to do away with the filibuster but to establish a system where filibusters are real and actual filibusters. Instead of just one Senator just saying I object and don't feel like voting or speaking now and leaves the floor. Where whatever the legislation is suppose to be is blocked indefinitely until the minority gets exactly what they want. That if the minority or any Senator decides to obstruct that there's a price to pay for that obstruction, that actions. Actually do have consequences, that we do have minority rights in the Senate but the job of the majority is to govern. To set the agenda and what issues are debated and make it to the Senate floor and get to draft bills to address those issues. And what the minority would get in return starting in the next Congress which starts tomorrow and into the future. Is the ability to amend and substitute, to right their own version of the bills that the majority comes up with. Led by the Minority Leader and his or her deputies, as long as its relevant to the legislation being considered.
The so called nuclear option in the Senate where Senate Democrats would rewrite the filibuster rule with a. Party line vote with the minority getting nothing in return which is something that Leader Harry Reid is suppose. To be considering even though I think he's really using it as a negotiating tool because he use to be the Minority Leader as well. Is not something that should be used and would cause a lot of problems with the minority constantly. Looking for ways to get back at the majority and would try to make life as bad on the minority once they. Were to come back into power and is something that should be avoided but the minority should no longer be. Able to obstruct just to obstruct and have to layout why they are objecting which would be their consequence for obstructing. So filibusters would end up being more limited and hopefully only come at the end of debates but what the minority. Would get in return is the ability to influence all legislation with relevant and timely amendments with time limits. On them so they couldn't attempt to amend indefinitely.
The Leader and Minority Leader should be the most powerful positions in the US Senate this is why these positions are created. Rather then one Senator being able to slow down or block anything because they feel like it or not even have. To come out in public and these powers should be based on the majority led by the Leader deciding the agenda. And the minority led by the Minority Leader being able to counter the majority when they decide not to work together. While still having the ability to obstruct at the end the final products of legislation that both sides had their say in crafting.
