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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51-75 of 20926 signatures
Number Date Name
20876 Wed Jan 26 09:23:38 EST 2011 Bob Ell
20875 Tue Jan 25 23:08:26 EST 2011 Carmen Wilkerson
20874 Tue Jan 25 21:53:00 EST 2011 Anonymous
20873 Tue Jan 25 21:49:15 EST 2011 Robert Ross
20872 Tue Jan 25 21:49:09 EST 2011 Robert Ross
20871 Tue Jan 25 20:51:27 EST 2011 Stephen Herrington
20870 Tue Jan 25 20:42:00 EST 2011 Alice Groth
20869 Tue Jan 25 19:51:37 EST 2011 Diana Sanders
20868 Tue Jan 25 19:50:29 EST 2011 Sheridan Reaves
20867 Tue Jan 25 19:38:42 EST 2011 Botkin Gwenn
20866 Tue Jan 25 19:29:26 EST 2011 Peggy Guignon
20865 Tue Jan 25 18:53:11 EST 2011 Edith Johnson
20864 Tue Jan 25 18:33:35 EST 2011 Sarah Pope
20863 Tue Jan 25 18:18:51 EST 2011 Karen Karr
20862 Tue Jan 25 18:18:45 EST 2011 amber alvarado
20861 Tue Jan 25 17:48:48 EST 2011 William Webster
20860 Tue Jan 25 17:25:56 EST 2011 Donna Halsband
20859 Tue Jan 25 17:18:22 EST 2011 Rita Shirley
20858 Tue Jan 25 16:49:38 EST 2011 Anonymous
20857 Tue Jan 25 16:27:12 EST 2011 Katherine Davenport RN
20856 Tue Jan 25 16:09:28 EST 2011 Leonard` Rorer
20855 Tue Jan 25 15:58:08 EST 2011 Jeffrey Bailey
20854 Tue Jan 25 15:35:50 EST 2011 Judith Burns
20853 Tue Jan 25 15:28:21 EST 2011 Charles Boehler
20852 Tue Jan 25 15:08:02 EST 2011 Patricia Ruzicka
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