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Politico: Young reformers rule the Senate

The Senate’s old bulls are rapidly fading as a band of more junior members in both parties seek to upend the seniority system that has ruled the chamber for generations.

Reformers such as Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Tom Udall (D-N.M.) want to end filibusters in a handful of circumstances and bring back the Senate of yesteryear, when it was rare to engage in a nonstop talking session and force senators to actually go to the floor and make good on their threats. And they are pushing Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to change the rules by 51 votes — rather than a two-thirds majority — a move that could make it much easier to ram through future rules changes.