Craig Barasso

The Filibuster: We're Filibusted

September 17, 2009 by johne

[Much thanks to my friend G. We've had many conversations, online & off, over this subject, over the years, and he's been a great source - RS]

"I don't remember the old-timey filibusters well enough to know whether the majority having to hang around is so. And I don't have time right now to look it up. I just remember: how they had to fill everyone's offices and the cloakroom and all with cots, and how cranky everyone got at having to show up in the chamber in bathrobes."

"AND by all means, lets require the filibusterers ACTUALLY TO DO IT."

In the interests of possibly never hearing or reading any more comments like that, I'm putting up this long essay on what it really means to launch and curtail a filibuster.

Filibusters are governed by Rules XIX and XXII of the Senate. All a filibuster is is a form of obstruction where a Senator (or more than one, theoretically, but you don't see that often) attempts to delay or entirely prevent a vote on a proposal by extending a debate on that proposal.