filibuster

Extracted Attributes

• Type

  Political procedure

• Impact

  Effectively requires a super-majority to enact most major legislation in the US Senate

• Purpose

  To prolong debate and delay or prevent a decision on proposed legislation

• Etymology

  Derived from a Dutch word for 'pirate' or 'freebooter' in the 19th Century

• Alternative Names

  "Talking a bill to death", "talking out a bill", "obstruction"

• Mechanism in US Senate

  Senators can speak for as long as they wish on any topic

• Primary Legislative Body

  United States Senate

• Cloture Requirement (US Senate)

  Three-fifths (usually 60 out of 100) of Senators to invoke cloture under Senate Rule XXII

Timeline

• The practice of filibuster emerged in the U.S. Senate during the early 19th century. (Source: Web Search Results)

  1800-01-01

• The United States House of Representatives created a permanent rule limiting the duration of debate, effectively ending the filibuster in the House. (Source: Web Search Results)

  1842-01-01

• Speaker Thomas Brackett Reed eliminated the 'disappearing quorum' tactic in the US House of Representatives. (Source: Web Search Results)

  1890-01-01

• The Senate adopted a rule to allow a two-thirds majority to end a filibuster, a procedure known as 'cloture'. Prior to this, Senate rules did not provide a way to end debate. (Source: Web Search Results)

  1917-01-01

• Senator Strom Thurmond conducted the longest recorded filibuster, lasting over 24 hours, in opposition to the Civil Rights Act. (Source: Web Search Results)

  1957-01-01

• The Senate reduced the number of votes required for cloture from two-thirds to three-fifths (60 senators). (Source: Web Search Results)

  1975-01-01

Filibuster

A filibuster is a political procedure in which one or more members of a legislative body prolong debate on proposed legislation so as to delay or entirely prevent a decision. It is sometimes referred to as "talking a bill to death" or "talking out a bill", and is characterized as a form of obstruction in a legislature or other decision-making body.

Web Search Results

• Filibuster - Wikipedia

  Wikipedia # Filibuster A filibuster is a political procedure in which one or more members of a legislative body prolong debate on proposed legislation so as to delay or entirely prevent a decision. It is sometimes referred to as "talking a bill to death" or "talking out a bill", and is characterized as a form of obstruction in a legislature or other decision-making body. ## Contents ## Etymology [...] The filibuster is a powerful legislative device in the United States Senate. Senate rules permit a senator or senators to speak for as long as they wish and on any topic they choose, unless "three-fifths of the Senators duly chosen and sworn" (usually 60 out of 100 senators) bring debate to a close by invoking cloture under Senate Rule XXII. Even if a filibuster attempt is unsuccessful, the process takes floor time. Defenders call the filibuster "The Soul of the Senate". [...] In the United States House of Representatives, the filibuster (the right to unlimited debate) was used until 1842, when a permanent rule limiting the duration of debate was created. The disappearing quorum was a tactic used by the minority until Speaker Thomas Brackett Reed eliminated it in 1890. As the membership of the House grew much larger than the Senate, the House had acted earlier to control floor debate and the delay and blocking of floor votes. The magic minute allows party leaders to

• The Filibuster Explained | Brennan Center for Justice

  In the Senate, a filibuster is an attempt to delay or block a vote on a piece of legislation or a confirmation. To understand the filibuster, it’s necessary first to consider how the Senate passes a bill. When a senator or a group of senators introduces a new bill, it goes to the appropriate committee for discussion, hearings, and amendments. If a majority of that committee votes in favor, the bill moves to the Senate floor for debate. [...] Filibusters traditionally involved long speeches in which a senator attempted to block a vote from proceeding by refusing to yield the floor. To stage such a “talking” filibuster, a senator would hold the floor by standing and talking for as long as they could, sometimes overnight. This was popularized in the 1939 film Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. The longest filibuster ever recorded, by South Carolina Sen. Strom Thurmond in opposition to the Civil Rights Act of 1957, lasted for more than 24 [...] a rule to overcome obstruction by the minority.

• filibuster | Wex | US Law | LII / Legal Information Institute

  Filibuster refers to the use of extreme tactics to delay action, especially in a legislative body. A filibuster often takes the form of continuous speeches on the floor of the legislative body, with the group opposing a final vote indicating their intent to speak indefinitely. Filibusters can take other forms depending on the situation, such as proposing endless amendments that extend debate endlessly. If a filibuster has been used, the group seeking a vote on the proposal then has to decide [...] whether to drop the proposal, make agreements with the opposition, or pursue a procedural way to cut off debate. [...] In the U.S., the Senate notoriously has been prevented from passing legislation in modern history due to filibusters. While originally the Senate did not have a filibuster, the practice came into play in the early 19th century, and now, a single senator can filibuster a piece of legislation unless a two-thirds majority of the Senate agree to end the filibuster. Technically, a bill in the Senate can pass with a simple majority, but speaking must end before a vote can begin. Thus, senators in

• About Filibusters and Cloture - Senate.gov

  The Senate tradition of unlimited debate has allowed for the use of the filibuster, a loosely defined term for action designed to prolong debate and delay or prevent a vote on a bill, resolution, amendment, or other debatable question. Prior to 1917 the Senate rules did not provide for a way to end debate and force a vote on a measure. That year, the Senate adopted a rule to allow a two-thirds majority to end a filibuster, a procedure known as "cloture." In 1975 the Senate reduced the number of

• Filibuster: The biggest obstacle to Biden getting his way - BBC

  "The filibuster is giving a veto to the gun industry," Senator Elizabeth Warren said during a 2020 Democratic presidential primary debate. "It gives a veto to the oil industry. It's going to give a veto on immigration." Filibuster supporters, however, warn that Republicans could repeal anything Democrats accomplish - and pass conservative priorities - in subsequent years. [...] The Senate, one of the two legislative chambers, is unique among western democracies in effectively requiring a super-majority to enact most major pieces of legislation. Derived from a Dutch word for pirate or "freebooter" in the 19th Century, the "filibuster," as it's called, has been a part of the US political process since the early days of the American republic. Only in modern times, however, has it become a common - and powerful - tool for political obstruction.

• Instance Of

  Q221911