To the editor:

I read with some confused interest the recent letters from the two Monroe County residents regarding eliminating the congressional filibuster. I guess they feel the people of Brown County must be kept informed by people from outside the county. Some of us do, however, have access to the internet and all kinds of news sources, but we do appreciate their guidance.

I don’t claim a great deal of political interest or involvement; however, to be transparent, I am a registered Republican. The reason for this letter to the editor is to question their reasoning for trying to eliminate the filibuster.

From what I’ve been able to find, the filibuster has been used by both parties since the early 1900s. My knowledge is certainly limited, but it appears the filibuster is used mostly by the party who has no control of any of the three branches of the government. It levels the playing field, so to speak, for that party.

I feel safe to say most people do not like the division the “government and/or politics” has caused this country in the last 10 to 15 years. The filibuster should force both parties to sit down and work out their differences rather than to give one party the total control without boundaries they would have without the filibuster. Today, at this point, the Democrats control all three branches of government but can’t get their big money bills passed because of the filibuster. Doesn’t it make more sense to keep both parties talking until the Democrats can get five or 10 Republicans to see their side through compromise? The alternative is to have one party, either one, to lead the country down a gilded path without oversight. That’s what eliminating the filibuster would cause.

Finally, I find it interesting that these Monroe County letters to the editor didn’t share additional facts to the readers. Last year, when the Democrats only controlled the House, they used the filibuster over 300 times. Don’t you think it’s strange that now, considering the Democrats control all three branches of government, they feel it’s necessary to eliminate the tool that they used so effectively last year?

Keep the filibuster until our representatives are willing to sit down and work it out together.

A new independent voter,

Jim Hays, Nashville

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