What is a filibuster?

Answer 1

It's a senate thing. Since their are no rules to stop a senator from talking without a super majority, sometimes when a senator disagrees with a law they will get up and talk non-stop for hours to delay the vote and thereby possibly killing the legislation.

The senators used to actually have to talk (one was said to read from a dictionary) but now there are procedural filibusters where the senators are saved from actually talking the whole time.

Answer 2

A filibuster is a tactic available to members of the Senate when they wish to delay debate or voting upon a piece of legislation that they oppose which is likely to pass without intervention. In order to start a filibuster, the senator must first have the floor. Then he/she starts talking, and talking, talking for as long as he, or they can. A filibuster can be stopped by calling for a vote of cloture, which requires a 3/5 majority vote. (60)

Answer 3

In the senate, all bills have the right of unlimited debate unless a 60% majority votes to stop further debate. A filibuster is when someone opposed to a bill exercises their right to use unlimited debate to prevent a bill from ever actually being voted for on the floor. Essentially stopping the bill in process. It is sometimes the only way a minority party can fight the majority party.

Answer 4

Its a way that a group of senators can delay the vote on a bill indefinately by keeping debate on the bill open (ie keep talking).

You have to have a 60% majority vote in the senate, I think in order to force the end of a debate, that's called a "cloture vote", otherwise it can go on as long as the senators want to talk.

The senate is supposed to be more collaborative and move more slowly with more bipartisan support than the house. The rules of the senate often slow things down and force the parties to compromise. So many of their rules require more than simple majority before things can move along. Fillibuster is a good example of this.

Answer 5

Using the rules of the Senate, one can talk continuously to require a super majority, 60%, to be in favor of a bill that one would like to bury. If there is 60%, "cloture" can be invoked, killing the fillibuster. This SHOULD have been done to kill the Alito Supreme CT appointment.

Answer 6

It's a political tactic to delay a bill to death in congress. Basically, the opposistion keeps talking about the bill until everyone gets sick of it. It comes from the rule that you can't call a vote on something until everyone is done debating it.

Answer 7

Its when democrats throw a tantrum in the House. Basically its the same as a child who hasnt gotten its way and is now preceding to hold its breath till it turns blue in the face...Except here the opposite is true. They talk till they are blue in the face.

Answer 8

once a legislator has been recognized and "has the floor," the member has the floor until he yields, leaves the chamber, or quits talking. a fillibuster is when a legislator, once recognized, speaks without talking for a long period of time. when the member stops or yields the floor, the fillibuster is over.

Answer 9

Obstructionist tactics, especially prolonged speechmaking, for the purpose of delaying legislative action.

An instance of the use of this delaying tactic.

Answer 10

Talking a proposed bill to death.