Filibuster reform takes center stage

>>> welcome back to "the ed show." thanks for watching tonight. senate republicans are holding america's progress hostage with the filibuster. they have blocked legislation like the veterans jobs act, which is killing thousands of jobs in the process. now senate democrats want action. they want to change e. senate majority leader harry reid wants three changes to the filibuster. they would make debates public and provide a shorter timeframe for breaking filibusters. these are minor reforms and the filibuster can still be used. republican minority leader mitch mcconnell railed against the changed earlier today. he said they were an effort to marginalize the minority party . harry reid hit right back atd the gentleman from kentucky and referenced this comment senator john mccain made on monday.

>> mr. chairman, i again apologized for what seems to have happened and much to my dismay it lends some grcredence to the argument that we ought not to do business the way that we are doing here in the the united states senate .

>> senator john mccain was blaming rand paul of kentucky for holding up amendments on the defense authorization bill. in the process, mccain gave credence to filibuster reform. his comments step all over mitch mcconnell 's claim. it's not an effort to marginalize the minority party . with 386 filibusters from republicans, these rule changes are simply a way to make the senate work again. that's what you pay them for. let's turn now to senator debbie stabenow of michigan. there's been a lot of conversation in the liberal community in this country about this. and democrats seem to be chomping at the bit. is this going to happen? are we going to see change?

>> yes, i believe that we are going to see change. we have the support to make the changes and i think it's clear the public wants us to get something done. of course, we're going to work across the aisle, but one person shouldn't be able to hold up the department of defense bill or in the case of my bringing jobs home act, which is so important for shipping jobs overseas, we had 57 votes but we couldn't get 60 to stop a filibuster and they haven't to stand on the floor and talk so nobody knew who it was from block us to closing loopholes to bring jobs home. this is common sense .

>> so senator, what's your response to mitch mcconnell what he says the filibuster reform is an effort to marginalize the minority party ?

>> it's crazy. he has been marginalizing the majority party . the last six years, there were 386 filibusters. in the six years that lyndon johnson was the majority leader at that time, there was one. one. because it was only used in the most extraordinary of circumstances. now they do it on everything. everything. even a department of defense bill that ended up passing today 98 98-0. they still slow walked it every step of the way.

>> so does john mccain help you? i mean does his comments give credence to the reform that you're having on this debate?

>> well, certainly it does help us. i think senator rand's behavior and other's behavior does help us. i would love to see senator mccain join us. it's questionable whether he will at this point, but the reality is the public wants us to get something done, to work together. we know that a minority view needs to be protected in the senate. you shouldn't be able to block things for the sake of blocking progress in solving problems.

>> it was very clear. mitch mcconnell wanted to make barack obama a one-term president. do you get a sense they are going to do that again? let's say ewe didn't make the changes. would it be a repeat of the last session of congress?

>> i absolutely do. even though there are members that want to work across the aisle, we're having better conversations now. and i appreciate that. colleagues on both sides of the aisle. but in the end, with the same leader and the same wind set. it would be the same thing. the public deserves better.

>> quickly, i understand you're having a press conference tomorrow with senator schumer on middle class tax cuts . from what i can gather, it's all about the rates.

>> we're doing a countdown. we got 27 days before middle-class families see an increase in their taxes of $2,200. i had one constituent share with me, that's four months worth of groceries for her family. that makes no sense. we passed our bill. the first $250,000, we passed it in july. we need to make sure middle class isn't burdened.

>> senator, thank you for r your time tonight.

>>> next up, that's no moon. that's a space station . the white house petition site gets an interesting call r for