Reply #35: The majority has the burden of govening.

[tritsofme]

There is other essential business to move on to. The government needs to be funded, ect. There is no downside for Senate Republicans in grinding Senate business to a halt, they would probably find the situation ideal. Forcing permanent debate on a piece of legislation that lacks 60 votes for cloture does nothing but frustrate the majority's other priorities that actually have a chance of passage.

I don't really see any upside in chipping away at the filibuster at this time, there is a Republican House which could reject any bill passed by the Senate, and Democrats are more likely than not to become the minority in the Senate in 2013.