WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats have what they think may be a unique window of opportunity to tame the filibuster power that the Republican minority has used so effectively in recent years to foil the Democratic agenda.

Normally, it takes a two-thirds majority to change Senate rules, one reason the filibuster system that has contributed to Senate paralysis hasn’t been touched since 1975.

But on the first day of a new session, a simple majority is enough to change rules and on Wednesday Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., plans to take advantage of that to alter the way the Senate operates.

It’s uncertain that he will succeed. Republicans are adamantly opposed to ceding their minority rights and some Democrats as well, looking ahead a mere two years when there’s a real chance they will be in the minority, want to make sure they’ll still have the filibuster weapon in their legislative arsenal.

It now appears that Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid will resort to the unusual tactic of prolonging the first legislative day of the session until after the Senate returns from its Martin Luther King week recess, giving those involved in the issue more time to work on a compromise.

Udall’s proposal already falls short of ending all filibusters. It would eliminate the practice of “secret holds” where a single senator can anonymously block a bill or nomination from reaching the floor and end the use of filibusters to prevent a bill from being taken up.

It would also require those waging a filibuster to stay on the floor and actually debate the bill, a plrocess portrayed by Jimmy Stewart in the famous 1939 movie, “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.”

Udall would also guarantee the minority the right to offer a certain amount of amendments to bills.

 

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