Join the Fight for Jobs!
Fight for Jobs
  • Home
  • About
    • Maps
    • Register to Vote
    • Contact Us
  • Top Issues
  • Voter Tools
  • Find Your Candidate

Bringing Back the Filibuster

3/7/2013

0 Comments

 
The talking filibuster made its return to the front pages as Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) took to the Senate floor yesterday to block a vote on President Obama’s nomination of John Brennan to head the CIA.  It was a rare show of bipartisanship as Paul received support from fellow Republicans and a Democrat as he sought to bring attention to the use of unmanned drones and to find out if the government would use drones in the United States.  Just before noon on Wednesday, Paul began his filibuster saying, “I will speak until I can no longer speak.”  As it turns out, that was quite a while, finally ceding the floor at about 12:40 a.m. on Thursday.  All told, Paul spoke without leaving the floor of the Senate for almost 13 hours.

Of late, Senators tend to favor the threat of filibuster or use of Senate rules to block legislation rather than an epic talking filibuster like Paul’s.  The last lengthy filibuster was in 2010, when Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) spoke for more than 8 hours to oppose a tax-cut plan proposed by President Obama.  Today, to end a filibuster, a device known as cloture, requires 60 votes, but by talking and only yielding the floor for questions, Paul was able to keep going.

Speaking for almost 13 hours should be a record, shouldn’t it?  Although the talking filibuster has rarely been used in recent years, it has a long, storied past.  The longest filibuster on record belongs to Senator Strom Thurmond of South Carolina, clocking in at 24 hours, 18 minutes.  Thurmond sought to block civil rights legislation in 1957.  In addition to Thurmond, Senators Alfonse D’Amato (D-NY) and Wayne Morse (I-OR) both exceeded the 22 hour mark.  Senators Robert M. La Follette, Sr. (R-WI) and William Proxmire (D-WI) filibustered for more than 18 hours and 16 hours, respectively.  While he didn’t set any records, Senator Paul garnered national attention and managed to bring attention to the use of drones, even though it is unlikely this filibuster will keep Brennan from being confirmed.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    About Us

    There is a time for politics and a time for governing. The time for politics is over the time for governing is upon us.

    Learn More

    Archives

    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    August 2010

    Categories

    All
    Alabama
    Alaska
    Arizona
    Arkansas
    California
    Colorado
    Connecticut
    Delaware
    District Of Columbia
    Florida
    Georgia
    Hawaii
    Idaho
    Illinois
    Indiana
    Iowa
    Kansas
    Kentucky
    Louisiana
    Maine
    Maryland
    Massachusetts
    Michigan
    Minnesota
    Mississippi
    Missouri
    Montana
    Nebraska
    Nevada
    New Hampshire
    New Jersey
    New Mexico
    New York
    North Carolina
    North Dakota
    Ohio
    Oklahoma
    Oregon
    Pennsylvania
    Rhode Island
    South Carolina
    South Dakota
    Tennessee
    Texas
    Utah
    Vermont
    Virginia
    Washington
    West Virginia
    Wisconsin
    Wyoming

    RSS Feed

Fight for Jobs
© 2014 BIPAC. All rights reserved.

Fight for Jobs

> About Fight for Jobs
> Top Issues
> Voter Tools
> Find Your Candidate
> Register to Vote

Connect With Us

> Facebook
> Twitter
> YouTube
> Email

Search Fight For Jobs

Fight for Jobs is a product of:
BIPAC