Question regarding filibusters?

The filibuster was invented in the Senate of the old Roman Republic by the Conservative extremist Cato the younger, who prevented any action he disagreed with (and he disagreed with almost everything) by simply standing and shouting until the sun went down and the business of the day could no longer be conducted. This behaviour, incidentally, was so obnoxiopus to the People that they supported the Liberal Julius Caesar when he led his troops home to put an end to this tyranny of the minority.

In recent centuries the practice came to mean that a legislator would simply hold the floor to prevent a vote, talking until they could talk no more. The person conducting the filibuster could be assisted by other legislators who might provide a respite by asking a question, often at such length that the original speaker could get some food and rest.

Somehow the rules in the Senate were relaxed even more to allow a Senator to declare a filibuster without actually speaking! All he or she had to do was say they were doing so without the bother of actually going through the arduous process. Last year Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell actually filibustered a motion he had just moved when Majority Leader Harry Reid agreed to let it come to a vote!

The Republicans promised not to abuse this privilege at the beginning of the year, and they broke their word. Thus the rules have been changed to withdraw the easy fiklibuster and actually require the work to be done. The Republicans are, of course, objecting to being required to actually do the jobs they were elected to do.

As to why the filibuster is a powerful tool, the actual speech delays the vote that allows the actiuon that the speaker objects to. In the case of Cato the Younger it prevented any action to raise the taxes required to alleviate famine caused by a revolt in Sicily, which led to actual starvation in Rome.

In today's Senate it has prevented any appointments if both Judges and Department heads. The Republicans have denied the President the ability to appoint the people needed to conduct the government. For example, there are 93 Federal Judges awaiting appointment, and until those people are in place the Courts cannot hear cases. Entire government departments are awaiting confirmation of their Adminstrator.

Uncontrolled filibuster has prevented our government from serving the people for the last five years.

The old James Stewart movie "Mr. Smith Goes To Washington" has a filibuster as its climax. It is a bit dated, but it shows how the Senate works. If you can handle the heavy hand of Frank Capra it is worth watching.

In the past a Senator would have to take the floor and talk, talk, talk and talk some more. If they ran out of things to say or had to go to the bathroom, the filibuster ended and the Senate would move to vote.

More recently a Senator simply threatens to filibuster and shuts down the Senate with regard to that bill.