Sen Tom Udall thinks so and wants to reform it according to an article in the New Mexico Independent.

Even if a filibuster attempt is unsuccessful, the process takes time. In recent years the majority has preferred to avoid filibusters by moving to other business when one is threatened and attempts to stop it have failed.

A filibuster used to be something that was extraordinarily rare, Udall told MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow last week. He noted that in LBJ’s days, back in the 1954 to 1961 period, he only had to cut one filibuster off. This year, Harry Reid had to cut off 84.

Udall’s solution is through what he calls the Constitutional Option. He cites Article 1, Section 5 of the U.S. Constitution, specifically the portion which says, Each House may determine the Rules of its Proceedings.

Although Senator Tom Udall supports military jobs in New Mexico, he is not happy with the way Cannon Air Force Base is pushing its LATN program. He promises to get with Air Force representatives and get them to get the information out to the people.


At this point, only 24 days remain for public comment on Cannon’s proposal to fly huge aircraft very low to the ground. Pilots would be training and practicing evasive maneuvering across a large training area covering much of Northern New Mexico and Southern Colorado, including Taos County.

Your Northern New Mexico Newsroom has the link for downloading the proposal and the comment form.

Go to:

http://www.cannon.af.mil/

On the right-hand side of Cannon’s home page, look for the subtitle “LATN Area Proposal Information.” Under that subtitle are eight documents you can click on, read, and download. One of those is the comment form that, as it stands now, must be filled-out and returned by October 4th.

Senator Tom Udall was all over town yesterday checking on projects that are, or will be, helping Northern New Mexico toward economic recovery. He visited the Judicial Complex on Albright Street where workers are working. He went to UNM-Taos where students are sharpening their career skills. And, he checked out a campus that generates all the power it needs from its own solar array.

But, when he arrived at Taos County Economic Development Corporation on Salazar, he had to roll-up his sleeves, wash his hands, and help process locally-made food right there in the Community Kitchen. In fact, both he and Mayor Darren Cordova showed they had the skill to process and package a Tina’s Burrita for distribution.

The Senator toured the food processing facilities and the Mobile Matanza to see how the nonprofit TCEDC is positioned to use the $275,000 grant still on its way from USDA. The money is intended to help farmers, ranchers, and food producers find their way to markets.

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Senator Tom Udall tours Taos today, checking out the Taos County Economic Development Corporation, the Judicial Complex, and UNM-Taos. But, at about 1:30 at TCEDC on Salazar, the Senator meets a cooking challenge.

Part of what the nonprofit agency does is provide a community kitchen which has helped many food businesses get started. TCEDC’s Pati Martinson says the Senator will take hands-on kitchen experience back to D.C. with him.

Some 3 months into the oil disaster, things have been looking good the last few days, as the well has been temporarily capped and under pressure testing. Activity has to take a break this weekend, though, as ships around the site must evacuate to avoid Tropical Storm Bonnie.

Our Senator Tom Udall has reminded us previously that some 200 employees from New Mexico’s National Labs have been helping to deal with the disaster all along. This week he also introduced another New Mexico resource that might be of some use. At a Senate Commerce Committee meeting focusing on the clean-up, Udall supported the efforts of individual New Mexicans with ideas that might work.

New Mexican Yellowhorse Jones testified about the ability of an organic substance called humate to remediate and restore the petroleum-contaminated shorelines of the Gulf. Humate is mined near Gallup on the Navajo Nation. The Coast Guard is currently screening his proposal.

Udall also highlighted other possible solutions originating from the State, like Zeolite, a material from Sierra County that absorbs oil.

Senator Tom Udall said in a telephone interview yesterday that the Democratic Caucus hasn’t been waiting around to see what BP would do next or even what President Obama would require of them. Prior to the President’s address last night, the senators had already sent a letter to CEO Tony Hayward demanding that the company immediately set aside $20 billion in an independently administered account to pay damages and clean-up costs ahead of coming legislation.