Between 1917-1971, per the Congressional Research Service, there was an average of one “cloture motion” — a maneuver to overcome a filibuster — filed per year. That’s now up to 70 per year. And if that’s not insane enough, the ability to place a secret hold explains why some 400 bills in this Congress that have passed the House have not been taken up and languish without debate, passage or turn-down in the Senate. The Senate is just broken.

Between 1917-1971, per the Congressional Research Service, a “cloture motion” (a motion to overcome a fillabuster) averaged about one per year. That’s now up to 70 per year. Plus, the ability to place a secret hold on a bill explains why some 400 bills in this Congress that were passed by the House have not been taken up and languish without debate, passage or failure in the Senate.  We can’t even find out ‘who’ put the hold on the bill so we, the public, can ask that Senator ‘why’ or attempt to get him/her to lift the hold.

It’s just a very sorry state, and the Senate is just flat out … broken.