November 22, 2021
Dear Senator Sinema:
Please don’t dismiss my letter simply because I’m not a direct constituent of yours. I am an active Democrat, including making contributions to the DSCC and have a website with several followers who are Arizona voters. I have been active in federal, state, and local government in a variety of roles over the years.
Although formerly in the House of Representatives, which I’m sure you’re aware has no filibuster tradition, you are in your first term as a United States Senator. Thus, you may not be aware of the interesting, albeit ugly, history behind the Senate’s filibuster. I know you are extremely busy, but please take a quick look at this information, much of which is from the Senate’s own website. The filibuster has no place in a democracy. Of course, as you know only too well, our Republic is based on a democratic foundation.
It wasn’t until the mid 1850s that the term “filibuster” started being used, derived from the Dutch word for freebooter and the Spanish word “filibusteros”—to describe the pirates then raiding Caribbean islands, which gives you an idea of what was thought of it.
We elect Senators, such as yourself, to go to Washington to conduct the business of thoughtful legislation that represents our (their constituents) interests. The filibuster prevents the work of the Senate from taking place. Today, when there are so many issues at stake, the filibuster is outdated, obsolete, and a throw-back to a less complicated time. There is nothing in the Constitution or the rules of the Senate giving the filibuster a place in the techniques used by our Senators to get their work done; in fact, it accomplishes the opposite! The filibuster is based on the idea that one person or minority group can block a particular piece of legislation they don’t agree with and stop the work of the Senate from continuing. Now, Senators don’t even have to talk nonstop, they can just threaten a filibuster. How is this democratic? How does it even make any logical sense?
Getting rid of the filibuster does NOT mean a Senator, or minority group of Senators can’t still voice their objections to a particular piece of legislation! What it does mean is the Senate can actually get some work done. I’m sure you are aware of the reputation the Senate currently has as a do-nothing group of highly paid people with extraordinary benefits who spend a lot of time flying around. We both know that is an inaccurate picture, but the filibuster doesn’t help that image at all, rather it obviously blocks democracy and promotes legislative inaction.
“In 1917, with frustration mounting and at the urging of President Woodrow Wilson, senators adopted a rule (Senate Rule 22) that allowed the Senate to invoke cloture and limit debate with a two-thirds majority vote….Even with the new cloture rule, however, filibusters remained an effective means to block legislation, since a two-thirds vote was difficult to obtain. Over the next four decades, the Senate managed to invoke cloture only five times. Filibusters proved to be particularly useful to southern senators who sought to block civil rights legislation, including anti-lynching bills. Not until 1964 did the Senate successfully overcome a filibuster to pass a major civil rights bill. [This was the most consistent and frequent use of the filibuster in Senate history. My notation is based on evidence in the historical record.] Nevertheless, a growing group of senators continued to be frustrated with the filibuster and pushed to change the cloture threshold. In 1975, the Senate reduced the number of votes required for cloture from two-thirds of senators voting to three-fifths of all senators duly chosen and sworn, or 60 of the current 100 senators.” [Emphasis mine, but note the source of this information.] https://www.senate.gov/about/powers-procedures/filibusters-cloture/overview.htm
The filibuster is nothing more than an antique holdover of flourishing oratory. I gather you are proud to be one of the most conservative Democratic Senators, but even though you clearly consider Arizona a conservative state, and it certainly does have that segment, I’m not convinced that will serve you well in the future. Conservatism is currently undergoing a major shift and is coming to mean trumpism and the acceptance and even support of such treasonous actions as the January 6, 2021 insurrection. Reading the comments on your Facebook page should give you a concrete picture of what I’m saying. Obviously some of your constituents are also concerned with your positions, which is to be expected. Consider who, exactly, you represent: Cultist Republicans or Democrats and Independents?
Thank you for your attention.
Most sincerely,
(Ms.) Doann Houghton-Alico
12798 CR 261p, Nathrop, Colorado 81236
Cell Phone: 719-839-0875
Email: doann.houghton@gmail.com
Website: doannhoughton.com
Senator Krysten Sinema at work, courtesy of her website.