The Filibuster and Its Use in American Government

Wouldn't it be nice if you could delay a decision just by talking? And maybe even change someone's mind in the process? A filibuster is a persuasive tool that senators use in American government.A filibuster is the act of extending debate on a bill before the Senate votes on it. It is often used in the United States government. One senator, or a group of senators, can postpone the voting process on a bill simply by talking as long as they want about any subject. However, once 60 % (a "super majority") of Senators call for cloture, the debate ends and the Senate must move forward and vote immediately. The first time Senate used cloture was in 1919 to end a filibuster against the Treaty of Versailles. Filibusters have been used throughout American history. In the 1930s, Senator Huey Long used the filibuster frequently when he thought bills were favouring the rich over the poor. To allow for longer debate, he used to wear people down by reading passages from Shakespeare and recipes from cookbooks.

Filibusters were used often by Southern senators to block civil rights and anti-lynching legislation. In 1957, South Carolinian Senator Strom Thurmond set the record for the longest filibuster. To stop the vote on the Civil Rights Act of 1957, he spoke for 24 hours and 18 minutes. Years later, more southern senators refused to back down, and filibustered for 57 days against the Civil Rights Act of 1964. More recently, Republicans used filibusters so that Democrats couldn't vote against President George W. Bush's Supreme Court nominations. In 2007, the Senators who proposed the Levin-Reed Amendment hoped for a filibuster. The amendment stated that the American soldiers would not be in Iraq indefinitely, and asked that President George W. Bush reduce the number of troops placed in Iraq. The Levin-Reed Amendment was put down by the Senate. These days, a filibuster can be understood in a more figurative than literal sense. Senate Rule 22 allows for a "procedural filibuster".A "procedural filibuster" permits a senator to call for a filibuster without having to go through the process of continuous talking. This procedure still stops Senate from going forward with other business The motion must either be withdrawn or receive enough votes for cloture. Senators now use this procedure more often, and the traditional filibuster has become increasingly scarce. However, the Senate Majority Leader (Currently, Democratic Senior Senator Harry Reid from Nevada) has the option to request an actual filibuster if he chooses.

A famous film which shows the drama of filibustering is Mr Smith Goes to Washington (1939). This American classic was directed by Frank Capra and stars Jimmy Stewart. Stewart plays Jefferson Smith, a junior senator from an unnamed state. Smith starts the film with an innocent and idealistic perception of government, but soon realises his colleagues participate in unethical activities. He decides to push forward with his ideals, and must filibuster to pass an important bill. Mr Smith Goes to Washington caused lots of controversy when it was released because it depicted a corrupt American government. The film made Jimmy Stewart a star.A filibuster is a tactic that Senators use to remind the government to think through key legislation. This rule is important to American government because it allows for more consideration of the Senate's constituents. In other words, filibusters were designed with the American people in mind.