New York (April 19, 2005)- National Urban League President Marc H. Morial today called upon the Senate to protect the right of every Senator to be heard through the time honored tool - the 200-year-old "filibuster" - and reject any effort to abolish it through the so-called "the nuclear option."

"The filibuster is one of our most powerful lines of defense against the appointment of judges who are out of touch with Americans' core values," Morial said. "The framers of the Constitution created the Senate as a deliberative body to check the impulses of the House of Representatives and the appointment powers of the President. Long-standing Senate rules, such as the filibuster, committees, and unanimous consent, ensure that all voices, even those in the minority, are heard and respected. Without these measures, the Senate merely becomes a rubber stamp."

"The fact that, in the past, some Senators used the filibuster to stall important civil rights legislation is not a valid reason to eliminate the filibuster today," Morial said. "Supporters of the legislation overcame the filibusters by pulling together, changing public opinion and convincing Senators to do the right thing. No one tried to eliminate the filibuster back then. They shouldn't try to get rid of it now."

On April 12, 2005, the National Urban League joined with 141 other diverse organizations in urging Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid to protect the U.S. Senate's constitutional role of advice and consent by opposing any efforts to eliminate senators' right to filibuster - whether applied to judicial nominees or to legislation.

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