Russ Feingold: “I want to start by noting my strong disagreement with the procedural tactics used by the majority to block amendments to…”

“I want to start by noting my strong disagreement with the procedural tactics used by the majority to block amendments to the bill. I have some familiarity with the strategy of filling the amendment tree. This was done time after time, year after year, when campaign finance reform legislation was brought to the Senate floor. This is the procedure that is used to block the Senate from working its will on a bill. The Senate has a long tradition of an open process for amendments. Any Senator has the right under our rules to offer any amendment to any bill. That is how the Senate works. It is amazing to me that the majority leader would engage in this tactic when he has not only majority support for the bill, but a supermajority in support. Democratic supporters of the bill thankfully are not prepared to block their colleagues from offering amendments. So I guess it appears that this bill is going to be sacrificed in order to prevent amendments from being offered.”