Ever heard politicians talking, and talking, and talking… seemingly forever? It’s not just a long speech; it might be a filibuster!
Simply put, a filibuster is a tactic, used in a legislature, to delay or block a vote on a bill, amendment, or other measure.
In essence, a senator or a group of senators just keep talking – sometimes for hours, or even days! They can read from cookbooks, phone books, or just discuss anything to keep the floor.
The goal? To waste enough time, and create enough frustration, that the majority gives up and withdraws the bill, or agrees to compromise. It’s a powerful tool for the minority.
To stop a filibuster, a special vote called “cloture” is needed. In the US Senate, this requires 60 out of 100 senators to agree to end debate.
If they get 60 votes, the debate ends, and the bill can be voted on. If they don’t, the filibuster often succeeds, and the bill usually dies.
So, next time you hear about endless debate in Congress, remember, it might just be the age-old tactic of the filibuster at work, shaping the laws that affect us all!