My brother-and sister-in-law are visiting from Houston, so we took them to Philadelphia today to see Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, and the Constitution Center. If you haven’t seen the Constitution Center, I recommend it, especially the show “Freedom Rising.” The interactive displays are both informative and lots of fun for kids as well as adults, and the room with statues of all the convention delegates is amazing. I had my picture taken next to my hero James Madison.
All of this brings me to the headline in the New York Times today: “Senate Refuses to End Tax Breaks for Big Oil.” The vote was 52-48 to end the tax breaks. Look at the headline again. How did we get to the point where 60 votes are needed to pass a bill? I was given a free copy of the Constitution when I entered the Center. I spent time at the interactive displays. Nowhere does the Constitution say that the Senate needs 60 votes to pass a bill. Nowhere is the filibuster mentioned in the Constitution.
So now the oil companies get to keep their profits, gouge us at the pump, and watch while the government is forced to cut vital programs that benefit ordinary Americans. I can’t imagine those delegates would be pleased with our current state of affairs. I know I’m not.
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