Senator Jim DeMint (R-South Carolina) wanted so badly to expand the border fence dividing the United States and Mexico, he attached his proposal to an effort opening up a secretive procedure in the Senate—and in the process killed it.
“Secret holds” allow senators to anonymously block legislation or nominations. DeMint insisted his maneuver was not intended to derail the bipartisan plan to eliminate the practice of secret holds , but his explanation was no comfort to those who had worked months to open up the Senate.
“I cannot recall another instance where the cause of open government took a beating… like the cause of open government took this afternoon,” said Senator Ron Wyden (D-Oregon), who helped lead the initiative. Wyden added that it felt like they had been “kneecapped” by DeMint.
-Noel Brinkerhoff