Filibuster effort funded
CREDO, a long distance company formerly called Working Assets, is distributing some of its revenue to organizations fighting filibuster abuse in the U.S. Senate.
Working Assets, founded in 1985, is noted for supporting progressive causes. Its long distance customers are encouraged to “round up” on their bills. This means that a customer receiving a bill of, say, $12.60 would choose to pay $13. The extra 40 cents then goes into a pool of money that is distributed to organizations chosen by customers such as Planned Parenthood or the League of Conservation Voters. Money is also given to less established groups.
This month CREDO told customers in their monthly billing, “The Senate has become the deathbed of progressive legislation… Round up your bill … and we’ll send your tax-deductible contribution to groups fighting to bring majority rule back to the Senate.”
Under a political tactic adopted by Senate leaders in 1975—but not authorized by Senate rules—a single senator can invoke a vote threshold of 60 votes required to pass legislation merely by threatening to filibuster, not by actually filibustering. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has continued use of the tactic.
The groups who will benefit from Credo’s money were not identified and a press spokesperson for the company could not be contacted, but the term “filibuster reform” now gets more than 15,000 hits on Google.