No More “Secret Holds” On Senate Legislation

In a story on a rejected proposal to establish an independent Senate ethics office, WaPo reporter Jeffrey Birnbaum buries this rather very big deal: The Senate also approved a proposal by Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) to end the practice that allows a senator to block anonymously consideration of legislation. By an 84 to 13 vote, the Senate agreed to put a stop to what are known as secret holds. The measure would require senators to disclose publicly within three days that they are objecting to the consideration of a bill. Currently, senators can place a hold on legislation without acknowledging their action to the public or to other senators. --- Senator Wyden, and Republican Senator Chuck Grassley, have been working together for several years to end secret holds. Here's excerpts from the Congressional Record: June 22, 1998. What began originally as a courtesy to members, as Wyden has described it, "to hold things over for a couple of days" so a member could attend to a relative in ill health, or address some matter that was important to constituents, became a common means to anonymously block nominations or bills from either coming to the floor, or from even being considered. Holds aren't going away. But at least those who employ them will no longer remain an anonymous mystery.