To the Honorable Members of the House of Representatives:
The undersigned citizens of the United States hereby agree and submit collectively this Memorial and Petition, with attached proposed House resolution.
We seek an immediate change by statute of the United States or other legislative action to eliminate Senate Rule 22 which was revised in 1975 to authorize the current “procedural” filibuster.
This “procedural filibuster” now permitted by Rule 22 has permitted the growing use of super majority vote as a routine based on the fiction but not the reality of a “continuous debate.” As of 2009, the use of “procedural” filibuster has become routine in a way never intended when Rule 22 was revised in 1975. By permitting individual Senators to call for super majority votes, such votes now become routine and exaggerate the check on legislation that comes before the Senate from the House of Representatives.
As a result, the filibuster rule prevents the House of Representatives from functioning as the Founders intended and provides too great a check on the role of the “people’s House” in the orderly conduct of constitutional government. A super majority rule is especially inappropriate in a body that unlike this House represents not the People of the United States but the States individually regardless of their respective populations.
When the other chamber so abuses its power by creating super majority votes as a matter of routine and not on the rare and special occasion as once occurred, then that chamber has unlawfully diminished the power of the House of Representatives, which is as much a victim of the use of the super majority rule as are the people of the United States.
Accordingly, the undersigned citizens hereby sign and submit this Petition and Memorial, with attached Resolution to declare the sense of the House of Representatives with respect to the current use of Senate Rule 22; and said citizens hereby request the sponsorship of the attached Resolution from every member of the House of Representatives.
Thomas Geoghegan, 60657
anonymous, 60647
Matthew Martin, 60657
Bradley Kerr, 11231
Kathryn Schoerner, 60625
Marvin Hampton, 97203
Kevin Carney, 19074
anonymous, 33319
anonymous, 23116
Fred Chuang, 90039
Andrew Long, 02025
William Hansen, 54914
Lynda Cutts, 54914
Brett Dalton, 93447
Ross Hyman, 60618
Vincent Slupski, 98115
Jeffrey A. Goldenstein, 52245
Hunter Van Valkenburgh, 48103
Howard Cole, 48108
anonymous, 40444
Wendy Scott, 95307
David Barrett, 04042
Edward L. Ferroni, 60540
Mark Yatckoske, 55426
Michael F. Dolan, 01007
David Dowling, 97304
anonymous, 98382
anonymous, 03801
anonymous, 94702
Robert, 90814
anonymous, 10016
anonymous, 04102
Elizabeth Beck, 04039
anonymous, 62629
Ken Crost, 80123
Thomas Siemsen, 22032
Nicole Dupre, 02143
Lisa Kulis, 03051
Matt Muchowski, 60031
Kay Jambois, 60202
nicholas delany, 11238
Warren Kornberg, 20896
anonymous, 21037
Felice Kornberg, 20896
Chris Goodwin, 80301
Lisa Kornberg, 21215
Nicola Mare, 11238
David Hayes, 85635
Barbara Brayton, 05663
Myles McDonnell, 10520
John Dunker, 99801
Douglas Mertz, 99801
anonymous, 22749
ian smith, 11201
Frankie Morris, 93101
Jean Starr, 20896
Phil Alpert, 10023
anonymous, 21234
Wayne Mones, 10305
James McKinney, 94703
Peter D Rosenbaum, 02466
Moshe Marvit, 60637
Thomas Moore, 02563
Joseph F. Lima, 92104
Lindsay Beyerstein, 11231
john edstrom, 97365
martin j walsh, 19055
Rick Perlstein, 60615
anonymous, 20015
Doug Kahn, 34223
Jonah Rosenberg, 12572
James Cataquet, 12572
Leonard Schmiege, 33713
Erin Haub, 81520
anonymous, 11237
Adam Fairbanks, 55421
Kate and Joel Kopp, 12572
Marcus A. Mello, 12572
Dana J. Tompkins, 12545
Diane Sommer, 12540
John Alden Thayer, 12725
Manfred Holl, 12601
richard r carlson, 12590-3920
William Corley, 02186
Mary Clare Beck, 48197
Robert Mack, 02139
anonymous, 94131
Carol Boucher, 08090
Timothy P. Wood, 67207
anonymous, 21218
Brett Franks, 22315
David Chang, 11803
anonymous, 56444
Brian Edgerton, 11216
Eric Welch, 61030
anonymous, 11217
John F. Heenehan, 07940
anonymous, 80503
Mark Galm, 98107
Charles Paul Kuntz II, 47904
anonymous, 27518
Tim Button, 02421
anonymous, 48473
Thomas Hochberg, 97227
Robert C. Wells III, 20006
Will Weiskopf, 21208
anonymous, 11211
Jacob Galm, 98117
anonymous, 60016
Sean Treanor, 20015
Robbie Bruens, 94703
R.M. \'Auros\' Harman, 94040
H. Corrigan, 28791
David Seitzer, 11231
Benjamin Siegel, 90049
John McLaren, 22902
anonymous, 22204
Daniel Charboneau, 02472
David Houghton, 05301
anonymous, 60614
George Quasha, 12507
Jennifer Fox, 12481
Ross Williams, 12571
Douglas C. Smyth, 12580
Theresa Bonner, 08876
Neil Pederson, 60615
anonymous, 98040
anonymous, 30340
Melissa Lach, 30533
billy don robinson, 97212
Jeff Young, 12110
Daniel Schoemer, 07480
Michael M. Clark, 53925
Pete Shively, 53711
A.S. Durphy, 95616
Tim Z Falconer, 94501
Bill Wilke, 77586
Kathryn Blanchard, 94070
Walter Ballin, 95926
anonymous, 32601
Charles Robert Terragno, 84105-1231
David Strom, 97024
anonymous, 12580
Helmut Kayan, 94102
Kent Magner, 87508
Jim Kuemmerle, 02364
Judy Robinson, 44514
James Sieks, 02478
Launa Zimmaro, 01741
anonymous, 11238
Peter Bull, 10956
Elaine Favill, 87501
Barbara Ferry, 87501
John Wobbe, 100033
Thomas J. Leuthner, 60056
Alex Olivares, 90035
Tom Ratzloff, 29464
Andrew Yale, 60637
Bill Higgins, 60302
Sara Deutsch, 28804
jan merritt, 29482
(Photo courtesy of flickr/dbaron)
