[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 2] [House] [Page 2210] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]SHAMELESS EXPLOITATIONS OF THE FILIBUSTER The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Johnson) is recognized for 5 minutes. Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, today, I am saddened as I rise in support and on behalf of the American people who do not believe that the fate of the Nation should be subject to the whims of just one single individual Senator. The Senate filibuster was first used in 1837, and for more than a century, it has been used very sparingly and as a last resort. Even as recently as the 1960s, when the filibuster was used to obstruct historic civil rights legislation, it was used to block legislation in less than 10 percent of major bills, but a rule change in the 1970s opened up the floodgates for abuse. Suddenly, by simply threatening to filibuster, a single Senator could obstruct any bill that lacked 60 votes. Today, the filibuster is the last stand of special interests and is a platform for grandstanding by obstructionist Senators. In 2009, the Party of No, the Senate Republicans, paralyzed the country, filibustering our political process--80 percent of major legislation filibustered. Mr. Speaker, there is no doubt that the Founders of our Nation intended for the Senate to be a moderating influence on the process of legislating. So they gave Senators 6-year terms of office. At the same time, they gave House Members 2-year terms of office so that they could be closest to the will of the people. The Senate was to be the deliberative body. George Washington is said to have argued that the Senate would cool legislation as a saucer cools hot tea. In that same spirit, James Madison explained that the Senate would be a necessary fence against the fickleness and passion of American politics. Yet the Senate no longer cools the tea of legislation. It freezes it cold--solid. It is no longer a fence against fickle passions; it is an impenetrable wall which is obstructing progress. The prerogative of a single Senator to single-handedly block any bill is an affront to democracy. It is clear that the minority party, utterly incapable of governing effectively while in power, has decided to obstruct those of us who are here to solve problems. The filibuster is their weapon of choice. This week, we are witnessing what must surely have been one of the most shameless exploitations of the filibuster in American history. Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening after witnessing this shameless exploitation with sadness in my heart, with sadness at the absurd posturing of my friend, the retiring Senator from Kentucky, who has single-handedly blocked passage of highway jobs investment, unemployment insurance, and health coverage for Americans who have lost their jobs. {time} 1945 When this Senator and when the previous administration were running this country, they threw wild pitch after wild pitch--an unnecessary $3 trillion war; runaway spending that turned a healthy surplus into a massive deficit; massive tax cuts for the rich that were not paid for; utter mismanagement of the economy; financial crisis and devastation to Main Street America--one wild pitch after another. So the American people went to the bullpen. They put a pitcher with better stuff on the mound. He was a lefty, but he is throwing strikes straight down the middle with speed and accuracy. But now the Senator is looking to get back into the game, and he has thrown a beanball straight down the throats of the American people. This week, in the midst of a deep recession, thousands of jobs have been furloughed, millions of unemployed Americans have feared the loss of their lifelines, their unemployment benefits, and construction projects ground to a halt. All because a single, lame-duck Senator--ostracized even within his own party--wants some attention. Well tonight I have an urgent message for the American people. Call him. Call Senator Bunning. Tell him Americans are suffering. Tell him Americans have no patience for his shameless games. Tell him America will not be held hostage. Tell him to be part of the solution or to get out of the way. ____________________