The filibuster, a Senate rule requiring 60 votes to pass legislation, was originally intended as a safeguard – a shield for states, markets, and individual liberties against overreach by the federal government. But its time has passed; it has become an impediment to the very principles it was designed to protect.
The current state of affairs demonstrates this failure vividly. Even legislation with broad public support, like the Save America Act, can be stalled indefinitely. When the Senate refuses to act, power doesn’t vanish; it simply shifts to entities operating outside direct government control – institutions we are expected to trust.
Consider the implications. Without safeguards like those proposed in the Save America Act, non-governmental organizations can exert undue influence on elections. In 2020, for example, entities could offer assistance with mail-in ballots, selectively targeting areas aligned with their political agendas.
This dynamic is particularly dangerous in an era where trust in established institutions is eroding. Once, we might have confidently relied on organizations dedicated to education, social services, or election monitoring. Today, many of these institutions have been overtaken by a consistently progressive ideology.
History offers a stark parallel. In 18th-century England, prisons were largely privately run, with wardens profiting from prisoner fees. Robert Castell, an architect imprisoned for debt, was deliberately placed in a cell with a smallpox sufferer and died as a result. The outrage that followed forced a reassessment of the system.
The corruption of those private prisons isn’t so different from modern examples: fraudulent day care centers receiving federal funding, or sham hospice facilities operating solely for profit. Even beyond outright fraud, institutions have demonstrably harmed society, particularly regarding sensitive issues like gender-affirming care for children.
For a time, nearly every major institution endorsed irreversible medical procedures for young people struggling with gender identity. It took direct intervention from government – executive orders, state legislatures, and the courts – to begin to reverse course, and hospitals are now quietly scaling back these “services.”
Castell’s death wasn’t the first tragedy within the English prison system, but it became a catalyst for change. Why? Because, 25 years prior, newspapers had emerged, bringing corruption into the light. Suddenly, the public had a direct window into abuses that were previously hidden.
Similarly, the rise of online news over the past quarter-century has shattered the gatekeepers’ control over information. The failings of our institutions – often staffed by individuals with vested interests – have been exposed for all to see, mirroring the revelations about England’s prisons centuries ago.
Today, Senate Majority Leader John Thune faces a critical decision. He may prefer limited federal intervention, but the institutions currently shaping American lives are demonstrably broken and compromised. The Senate cannot continue to passively allow this to continue.
While the House of Representatives is designed to be the primary voice of the people, the Senate should not serve as a permanent obstacle to the will of the House, especially when that will is backed by overwhelming public support. The filibuster has become an excuse for inaction.
The time for debate is over. The filibuster, once a reasonable check on power, now actively enables the unchecked influence of institutions that have betrayed the public trust. It is time for the people’s government to reclaim its authority and address the systemic failures that threaten our society.
