Force senators out from the shadows:
Pass the Secret Holds Elimination Act now

Senators with something to hide are using “secret holds” at an unprecedented rate to sabotage legislation and nominations that they don’t want to see the light of day.

Senators Wyden, Grassley, and McCaskill’s bill would take the “secret” out of the secret holds process by forcing senators to identify themselves when they want to stop progress, and could be up for a vote soon. We have to act now.

Help us make sure this bill passes: Add your name to our petition now!

Claire McCaskill
U.S. Senator

Dick Durbin
U.S. Senator

Sheldon Whitehouse
U.S. Senator

How are secret holds a threat to Senate progress?

Secret holds cost us a searchable database of government contacts and grants — a tool that would have given spending transparency, and would have put the spotlight on lobbyist windfalls.1

Secret holds delayed over 120 presidential nominees since President Obama took office.2

Secret holds allowed a sole senator, Richard Shelby of Alabama, to hold 70 nominations hostage earlier this year.3

Secret holds prevented the deciding vote on the Tennessee Valley Authority needed to pass a plan to replace antiquated coal plants.4

Secret holds blocked the confirmation process for the Secretary of Labor from beginning for over a month.5

Secret holds prevented one of the Federal Reserve’s board members from taking his seat — right when we need all hands on deck on our economic issues.6

1Houston Chronicle, 8/23/06; 2NPR News, 6/3/10; 3Washington Post, 2/6/10; 4Chattanooga Times Free Press, 6/6/10; 5Los Angeles Times, 1/24/09; 6Bloomberg Businessweek, 8/6/10

Victory!

On January 27, the U.S. Senate voted to ban secret holds.

Thank you for your help bringing more transparency and openness to our government!

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26-50 of 20926 signatures
Number Date Name
20901 Thu Jan 27 12:19:15 EST 2011 Lee Kester
20900 Thu Jan 27 11:33:59 EST 2011 Robert McWilliams
20899 Thu Jan 27 11:23:03 EST 2011 Mary Clasby-Agee
20898 Thu Jan 27 11:21:49 EST 2011 Jason Meriwether
20897 Thu Jan 27 11:06:00 EST 2011 Vince Latona
20896 Thu Jan 27 10:58:12 EST 2011 Harold Cowgill
20895 Thu Jan 27 10:00:57 EST 2011 Sharon Evans
20894 Thu Jan 27 09:28:49 EST 2011 Eleanor Franklin
20893 Wed Jan 26 22:38:07 EST 2011 Mary Shockley
20892 Wed Jan 26 22:17:36 EST 2011 Marty Morelock
20891 Wed Jan 26 21:46:46 EST 2011 ruth Milledge
20890 Wed Jan 26 21:11:42 EST 2011 Diana Brunswig-Bosso
20889 Wed Jan 26 20:34:49 EST 2011 Elizabeth Hill
20888 Wed Jan 26 20:29:10 EST 2011 David Moore
20887 Wed Jan 26 17:42:22 EST 2011 Charles Gabert
20886 Wed Jan 26 17:36:29 EST 2011 Joshua Terrell
20885 Wed Jan 26 15:14:42 EST 2011 Bettye Harold
20884 Wed Jan 26 14:19:49 EST 2011 Patty Oleson
20883 Wed Jan 26 14:00:31 EST 2011 susan barthelow
20882 Wed Jan 26 12:54:32 EST 2011 Robert M. Trenholm
20881 Wed Jan 26 12:28:49 EST 2011 Randall Paske
20880 Wed Jan 26 11:55:50 EST 2011 Richard Tomasetti
20879 Wed Jan 26 11:33:22 EST 2011 Michael And Shirley Lett
20878 Wed Jan 26 10:29:45 EST 2011 Henry F Morgan
20877 Wed Jan 26 09:47:57 EST 2011 Rose Drain
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