The U.S. Constitution empowers Congress to make laws. The Senate, specifically, is charged with approving all presidential appointments. The only instances specified in the Constitution where a two-thirds majority is required to approve a measure is for the ratification of a treaty, overriding a presidential veto, and for approving a constitutional amendment before sending it to the states for ratification (in the latter two cases, a two-thirds majority of each House is required). For all other measures, a simple majority of present members will suffice to pass an action.

The House of Representatives understands this responsibility and routinely passes legislation with a simple majority. Unfortunately, the Senate has gone against the intent of the Framers by using a legislative maneuver called the filibuster, which in practice, requires a 60-40 majority vote to pass any measure. If one Senator in the minority doesn't like a bill, and the majority leads by a 59-41 margin or less, that Senator could declare a filibuster and stop a vote on the bill. The filibuster then requires 60 votes before it can be broken and an item can be voted on.

The Supreme Court has allowed the filibuster to stand under the argument that "Each House may determine the rules of its proceedings," (U.S. Const. Art I, Sec. 5.2) but it is clear that the filibuster has prevented the Senate from fulfilling the duties for which which our legislature was created--that is to pass laws which reflect the will of the majority. The Constitution already declares when a larger-than-normal majority is necessary to pass measures, and it is not the responsibility of our elected officials to set rules that infringe on the clear guidelines in the Constitution.

Because of the filibuster, jobs in both the public and private sector have been prevented and our government has many vacancies in the federal judiciary and executive departments. The American people won't sit by idly while the Senate continues to be a bastion of inaction.