This just in from Ryan Grim, at the Huffington Post:
The Democratic senator from New Jersey announced Wednesday that he would introduce the “Mr. Smith Bill,” which would specifically require the minority to talk out a filibuster, a la Jimmy Stewart in “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.” Once debate ends and no senator requests the floor to share his or her wisdom with the C-SPAN audience, a bill could immediately come up for an up-or-down vote.
Lautenberg’s bill is elegant in its simplicity: It merely requires objecting senators to stand up and state their objections. Or state something. Anything.
“If a senator wants to delay our work in the Senate, then that senator must show up on the floor and debate,” said Lautenberg. “Filibusters should happen on Capitol Hill, not from the Capital Grille. If any of my colleagues feel strongly enough about a bill or nomination to stop all work in the Senate, they should have no problem standing on the Senate floor to explain their opposition to the American public.”