Reporter’s guide to filibuster reform in the U.S. Senate
Reporters covering the Senate and citizens watching from the sidelines will welcome a new guide to the upcoming battle over the filibuster from one of the preeminent authorities on Congress. Political science professor Steven S. Smith has prepared a primer outlining proposals and procedures for reforming the Senate’s rules pertaining to filibusters. Get ready for the opening of the 112th Congress and a possible showdown over the parliamentary procedure that has been used to block legislation by both parties and famously by Jimmy Stewart in the 1939 film, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.
Expert says U.S. Senate needs to reform its rules
Steven Smith, director of the Weidenbaum Center and political science professor is calling for filibuster reform in the U.S. Senate. And he’s taking his message to Capitol hill.Smith is participating in a conference sponsored by the Weidenbaum Center and the Brookings Institution on the “State of the Senate” May 17 in Washington D.C. On May 19, Smith will testify before the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration to argue his case for reform of the rules that are obstructing and restricting the legislative role of the Senate.
Why do incumbent senators win?
In November, 26 incumbent U.S. senators will be on election ballots. Chances are, most of them will win, according to a study by Washington University in St. Louis professor Gautam Gowrisankaran and two colleagues.