Jim Webb: “11 days ago, all but four of the Republicans in this body filibustered a commonsense piece of legislation that would…”

“11 days ago, all but four of the Republicans in this body filibustered a commonsense piece of legislation that would have created a national commission designed to bring together some of the best minds in America to examine our broken and frequently dysfunctional criminal justice system and to make recommendations as to how we can make it more effective, more fair, and more cost-efficient. This legislation was the product of more than 4 years of effort. It was paid for. It would have gone out of business after 18 months. It was balanced philosophically. It guaranteed equal representation among Democrats and Republicans in its membership. It was endorsed by 70 organizations from across the country and from across the philosophical spectrum--from the National Sheriffs' Association, the Fraternal Order of Police, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, to the ACLU, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, and the Sentencing Project. I must say that at first I was stunned by this filibuster at the hands of 43 Republicans. But on the other hand, it is impossible not to notice over the past 2 years the lamentable decline in bipartisan behavior in this body, even in addressing serious issues of actual governance. I say this with a great deal of regret, both personally and politically. I think I can fairly say there is no one in this Chamber who has tried harder to work across party lines.…”