Filibuster

Overview

This Fact of Congress discusses filibustering and explains why sometimes it’s important to slow down the legislative process.

 

Standards

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Key Terms

Cloture: The only procedure by which the Senate can vote to place a time limit on consideration of a bill or other matter, and thereby overcome a filibuster.

Filibuster: The term used for an extended debate in the Senate which has the effect of preventing a vote.

Floor: Members of Congress call the space where Members of the House or Senate debate and vote “the floor”; more formally known as the House or Senate chamber.

Senator: An elected person who represents citizens of a particular state in the Senate.

 

Discussion Questions

Check for Understanding

These questions are designed to assess students’ knowledge of concepts introduced in this Fact of Congress.

1. What is a filibuster?
2. Why is the filibuster allowed in the Senate?

Extending Concepts

These questions are designed to extend students’ understanding of concepts introduced in this Fact of Congress.

1. Why do legislators sometimes need to slow down the legislative process?
2. The Framers designed Congress to act slowly rather than quickly in order to ensure that all points of view will be heard and people would have the opportunity for thorough and thoughtful analysis of proposed bills. Do you think filibustering slows down the legislative process too much? Why or why not?

Suggested Activities

You may want to complete one or more of the activities below after your students have watched Fact of Congress: Filibuster.

Grades 4 – 8

How Long Can You Talk?

Discuss the term filibuster with students. Below is a list of the three longest filibusters. Ask students to choose one Senator listed below and create a picture book that describes his longest filibuster.

• South Carolina’s Strom Thurmond. Senator Thurmond holds the record for the longest individ­ual speech. He filibustered for 24 hours and 18 minutes against the Civil Rights Act of 1957.
• Oregon’s Wayne Morse. On April 24, 1953, Senator Morse began a filibuster against Tidelands Oil legislation. He concluded 22 hours and 26 minutes later.
• Louisiana’s Huey Long. Senator Long is known as the “master of the Senate filibuster.” On June 12, 1935, he filibustered for 15 hours and 30 minutes to keep a stipulation requiring Senate confirmation for the National Recovery Administration’s senior employees.

 

Grades 9 – 12

Examples of Filibustering

Discuss the term filibuster with students. Then ask students to visit the Congress Link Web site at http://www.congresslink.org/civil/cr21.html and read about filibustering during the Civil Rights Movement. After the students have read the article, talk about the advantages and disadvantages of filibustering. For homework, have students find one example of filibustering in the local news­paper, magazines, or online resources. Have them share their examples.

 

Filibuster and Cloture

Make sure students understand the meaning of the term filibuster. Talk about why Senators must sometimes try to slow the legislative process. Have students visit the Senate Web site and read Cloture Rule . Discuss how cloture changed Senate filibustering. Ask students to write a persuasive paper that argues whether or not more should be done to limit Senate filibustering.

 

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