Sen. Brian Schatz penned an opinion piece for Daily Kos calling for reforms that allow a minority of senators to filibuster legislation. Filibusters have made legislation harder to pass, requiring a 60 vote majority in the Senate.

Most alarming, Schatz argues, is the difficulty President Barack Obama is facing in having judicial nominees confirmed.

He writes in part:

“This Senate minority has abused the filibuster by holding up the President’s highly qualified cabinet picks without any legitimate reason. Months into President Obama’s second term, a number of his nominees face grim chances of being confirmed because of unyielding minority opposition. This tactic effectively strips the President of the right to appoint a cabinet and goes against the way the Senate has always operated.”

Read the full piece here.

— Kery Murakami