Merkley on the filibuster

Sen. Jeff Merkley just sent this message to his supporters:

Minutes ago, the U.S. Senate voted to change the rules and end the practice of filibusters on presidential nominations to the executive branch and to the courts (except the Supreme Court).

This is historic. And you made it happen.

When I arrived in the Senate, I found a place that was dysfunctional — that didn’t work the way it did when I was a young man, the way it had worked since the dawn of the Republic. I don’t need to remind you: The Senate has been unable to act on too many critical issues.

But, together, we organized an historic grassroots campaign. Hundreds of thousands of Americans signed petitions, wrote letters, supported candidates who committed to filibuster reform. All told, millions of Americans spoke out.

And my fellow Democrats in the Senate heard you loud and clear.

Today, we have taken an important step toward fixing the filibuster — and making the Senate work for ordinary Americans again.

The President will be able to fill executive positions critical to creating middle-class jobs, fixing the housing crisis, cleaning our air and water, holding big corporations accountable, and so much more. We’ll also start making progress on ending the empty-bench crisis in our judiciary, filling critical judicial positions and ensuring that justice is no longer delayed and denied.

You made this happen. And with your support, we’ll continue to lead the way and get America back on track.

A Note From the Publisher

Dear Readers,

The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.

That’s because of you!

Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.

Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.

We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.

And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.

None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.

As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.

Thank you for standing with us!