Walter -- When the Senate's new session convenes in January, we'll have 55 members in the Democratic caucus, and the Republicans will have 45 members. With that expanded majority, Democrats will be able to enact the kind of policies that Americans clamored for in the last election -- creating more jobs, protecting Social Security and Medicare, ending tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires, implementing the DREAM Act, changing Citizens United, and so much more. …Right…? Unfortunately, it's not that easy. Because of the increasing abuse of the filibuster by Republicans, the kind of real progress demanded by the American people on Election Day will be difficult -- unless something changes. That's where you come in. Click here to help me build public support for vital filibuster reform. Sign my petition to my Senate colleagues today! A filibuster is supposed to be used in rare situations when a senator strongly opposes a piece of legislation. My colleagues are supposed to take to the Senate floor and passionately defend their opposition, to build support for their point-of-view and make their objection clear for all to see. That's how it's supposed to work. But today, a single senator can simply threaten to filibuster, and the Senate's business comes to a grinding halt. The senator doesn't even have to show up or make their name public, for fear of defending an indefensible position. When the Senate reconvenes in January, we will have the rare opportunity to change our rules, and return the filibuster back to its original form. If a senator wants to filibuster, come to the Senate floor and talk. And if the American people agree with them, they'll prevail. If their filibuster is not worth defending on the Senate floor, the new rule will allow the Senate to move on. It's going to be tough -- we face a lot of Republican opposition -- but if you help me build public support, I think we can do this. Click here to sign my petition, urging my Senate colleagues to pass filibuster reform when the new Senate convenes in January. Since we retook the Senate in 2006, Republican senators have used this filibuster tactic more than 300 times to block Democratic priorities -- they've stood in the way of important judicial nominations and bills that would create jobs, end taxpayer subsidies to Big Oil… the list goes on. It's time to break through the partisan gridlock. It's time to reform the filibuster. Thank you for standing with me, Dick Durbin U.S. Senator

Paid for by Friends of Dick Durbin