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Rand Paul and the History of the Filibuster

The filibuster has existed almost as long as the Senate. In 1806 the Senate eliminated the "move the previous question" rule which basically ended debate on an issue, something called cloture today. The filibuster was purely a theoretical idea until 1837 when it was used for the first time. Various "cloture" rules have been put in place, usually requiring anywhere from 3/5 to a 2/3 vote to pass. Currently 3/5ths of the Senate must vote for cloture which is 60 out of 100, hence the phrase "super majority" when a party has 60 or more members.

Both parties have utilized the filibuster, Republicans to oppose some of Woodrow Wilson's proposals, and Democrats to stall civil rights legislation in the 1960s. There are many nuances to the cloture rule. Reconciliation and leaving an item as the sole piece of legislation on the agenda are two examples. While filibusters are rarely effective, in the modern, internet driven age they have raised awareness of issues that in the past may have escaped the notice of most Americans.

In my opinion, Rand Paul's March 6th filibuster proved effective in that it raised political awareness and focused on an issue that should have had bipartisan support. One would think liberal, democrats would be outraged at any administration that believed they could target Americans and execute them without due process using an armed drone. While not many Democrats said so publicly, I believe (hope) most supported Paul.

In the end he was victorious in that the administration recanted on AG Holder's claim that the White House could legally target American citizens in the United States. Hopefully, some more common sense compromise will follow this example.

Posted with Blogsy