Letters: Nuke the filibuster

Re “Senate GOP blocks Obama picks,” Nov. 1

As the result of GOP filibuster abuse, five years after President Obama first assumed office, Bush administration holdover Edward J. DeMarco still heads the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA). The Wall Street-friendly DeMarco is one of the nation’s greatest obstacles to meaningful economic recovery.

DeMarco blocked efforts to provide debt relief to the victims of Wall Street scammers. He did so even after the U.S. Treasury offered to pay the FHFA 63 cents for every dollar forgiven.

The time to invoke the “nuclear option” is past due.

Ernest A. Canning

Thousand Oaks

The article refers to “squabbling” over Senate rules. The Constitution provides that “each senator shall have one vote” and that “no state, without its consent, shall be deprived of its equal suffrage in the Senate,” except where a supermajority vote is required by the Constitution.

Because fewer than 60 senators voted to take up the pending nominations, they were not considered because of Senate filibuster rules.

Restoring majority rule to the Senate is not squabbling; it is simple compliance with the Constitution.

John C. Nangle

Palm Springs

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