09/02/09 12:29:10
>>59
In the U.S., filibusters only happen in the Senate.
Originally, a filibuster was a very long speech on any topic by a Senator
that prevented a bill before the Senate from being acted upon. The speech
could be given by one Senator, or a series of Senators. The record for
longest filibuster by one person is held by Sen. Strom Thurmond, who spoke
continuously for 24 hours and 18 minutes.
Now, a Senator only has to indicate he's filibustering and doesn't have to
actually make the speech.
The majority party can end a filibuster by voting for "cloture" (end of
debate), but it needs 3/5 of the Senate voting for it to pass. That is
why a party that holds 60 seats in the Senate is said to have a
"filibuster-proof majority", since it has enough Senators to vote for cloture.