U.S. Reps. Casten, Newman join author Adam Jentleson in a Town Hall Event on Eliminating the Filibuster:
Downers Grove, IL – On Wednesday, U.S. Congressman Sean Casten (IL-06) and Congresswoman Marie Newman (IL-03) joined Adam Jentleson, Deputy Chief of Staff to former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and author of "Kill Switch: The Rise of the Modern Senate," hosted a live town hall event to discuss the history of the filibuster and why it must be eliminated as part of an ‘End the Filibuster Week of Action' led by Casten and Congresswoman Cori Bush (MO-01), Congressman Jason Crow (CO-06), and Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (WA-07). The town hall included Q&A and was attended by over 200 constituents, more than 100 of whom submitted questions prior to the event.
Before the town hall, Casten said, "We're facing public health, economic, and climate crises. We're in the midst of a racial justice reckoning. We can't afford to let Senate Republicans block solutions supported by bipartisan majorities of Americans when so many lives are on the line"
During the town hall, Jentleson explained how the Jim Crow era relic was designed and leveraged to prevent a democratically elected majority from passing overwhelmingly popular legislation and made the case that the filibuster reduces bipartisanship and makes stands in the way of both Democratic and Republican lawmakers achieving their governing objectives. Casten discussed how the filibuster stands in the way of commonsense solutions supported an overwhelming, bipartisan majority of Americans—from civil rights to climate change.
When answering a question from a constituent on how the filibuster impacts American families, Casten said, "We are we are condemning our children and grandchildren to [the consequences of] higher sea levels to greater wildfires, not because we don't have technological solutions, not because we don't have policy solutions that were created on a bipartisan basis, but because of the filibuster."
Closing his remarks, Jentleson said, "This is a question of can our democracy, continue to function in a reasonably responsive fashion. This is really a question of functionality and responsiveness over dysfunction, and that is something that everybody should be able to agree upon."
Last month, Reps. Casten, Bush, Crow and Jayapal led a broad coalition of nearly 100 House Democrats in a letter urging Senate Democrats to end the filibuster so that Congress can deliver on the promises made to the voters who gave Democrats control of the U.S. House, Senate, and Presidency. Casten's letter calls for the Senate to put the needs of the American people over archaic Senate procedure and move forward with legislation to address the climate crisis, prevent gun violence, protect voting rights, establish a $15 minimum wage, reform our country's immigration system, protect workers, and more. Reps. Casten, Bush, Crow, and Jayapal held a press conference announcing the letter, discussing the need to end the filibuster so that Congress can deliver on the promises made to voters who delivered Democrats control of the U.S. House, Senate and Presidency. To watch Rep. Casten's remarks at the press conference, click here.
This evening at 7 pm ET, Casten will cohost another town hall with Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal and Adam Jentleson as part as part of the ‘End the Filibuster Week of Action'.