A filibuster is a tactic used to prevent the passage of a motion, such as a bill, and is most closely associated with the US Senate. The term comes from the Dutch word for pirate, as Americans used filibustering in the Caribbean and South America to seize political power and possessions. In the US Senate, a filibuster takes the form of an extended speech, and the rules allow any representative to talk as long as they want until 60 out of 100 members call for “cloture” to end the discussion. Filibusters can be intense and preparations can include things like cradles in the Senate corridor. While sometimes funny from the outside, filibusters are serious business inside the Senate and can cause the day-to-day business of the Senate to halt.
The idea of a filibuster is most closely associated with the United States Senate, which has perhaps turned the practice into an art form. Filibusters have also been used in other legislatures around the world, such as Canada, the United Kingdom, with different rules of decency but with the same objective: to block a vote. A filibuster is a filibuster tactic that is used to prevent the passage of a motion, such as a bill. Within the United States Senate, a filibuster usually takes the form of an extended speech, as the Senate gives senators the right to unlimited discussion and debate. Even senators don’t limit themselves to the subject at hand, and famous buccaneers have included readings from telephone directories, recitations of poetry, and discussions of Southern recipes.
The roots of the word are almost as fascinating as the practice itself. “Filibuster” is related to a Dutch word, vrijbuiter, which means “pirate.” The Dutch word may actually come from “free booter,” an English term for a pirate. In the 1800s, Americans did a lot of filibustering in the Caribbean and South America, attempting to seize political power and material possessions. The term has been adopted to speak of legislators who have “pirated” the spirit of debate in Congress.
In the United States, the rules for filibustering differ between the House and the Senate. In the House, rules were made in 1842 that limited the length of time a debate could continue, effectively ending the filibuster in the House, since a filibuster is basically an endless debate by definition. In the Senate, the rules allow any representative or group of representatives to talk as long as they want about anything until 60 out of 100 members on the floor call for “cloture,” which is a majority vote that forces an end to the discussion.
In most cases, a group of Senators creates a stonewalling tag team, allowing one Senator to take control when the former gets tired. Preparations for a filibuster can be intense and can include things like cradles in the Senate corridor. One of the most famous filibustering senators was Huey Long, who fought to protect the rights of the poor. The record for the longest filibuster, however, belongs to Sen. Strom Thurmond, who spoke for 24 hours and 18 minutes in opposition to the 1957 Civil Rights Act.
While a filibuster can sometimes be funny from the outside, it’s very serious business inside the Senate. Political parties have been known to threaten to filibuster controversial legislation or executive appointments, because they are fully aware that prolonged filibustering will cause the day-to-day business of the Senate to halt. The decision to lead a filibuster is not taken lightly, and the Senate usually compromises to avoid it.
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