So what exactly is the filibuster? The word filibuster comes from the Dutch vrijbuiter. It means freebooter or pirate in Dutch. The word first became the english word: flibutor. Then it was the french version of freebooter that was adopted and the english word became flibustier. Then after taking the Spanish inspiration: filibustero. The word in english became filibuster. What a game of telephone that was!
Currently the Republicans hold 51 seats in the Senate. That makes them 9 votes short of cloture, the 3/5's rule for shutting up of the senator, if all Republicans vote for Gorsuch. So that means at least 8 democrats must vote for Gorsuch, if a filibuster begins.
So this brings in the nuclear option. The nuclear option is a change in Senate rules. It's called "nuclear" because Senate rules are infrequently changed and when the rules are changed it is a big deal. The rule change would involve changing threshold for cloture for Supreme Court nominees from 60 votes down to 51 votes (a simple majority). This would make it much easier for Republicans to pass legislation through the Senate.
Another interesting thing about the filibuster, besides it's pirate roots, is that the framers of the constitution saw it as dangerous. You see, the act of filibustering, started in the Ancient Roman Senate more than 2000 years ago. The filibuster was first used by Cato the Younger in 60 BC. Cato the Younger, a loud-mouthed conservative, used the filibuster to halt all Senate proceedings regarding tax collection. Tax revenues were diminishing and the Rome was beginning to go dry. Cato's filibuster continued for six months until the important tax collection matters were just brushed aside by the Senate entirely. The non-consensus caused Roman tax revenue to begin to go into question. The party Cato belonged to in the Senate, the optimates, were also weary of powerful military generals like Pompey and Julius Caesar. The optimates filibustered against a bill that would redistribute Italian land to Pompey's veteran soldiers - this made Pompey less popular.
Then came Caesar. Caesar Caesar Ceasar. So Caesar came back from a military campaign in Spain and wanted to celebrate his victory - called a Triumph. He also wanted to become consul - the highest elected office in Rome. Caesar couldn't have both by government rules. Caesar asked the Senate for both. Cato said no, no, no, and filibustered Caesar's request on the last day of the Senatorial year. Caesar chose consulship. As a consul he asked for the same bill as Pompey to be passed. Again the optimates, the minority, filibustered. So Caesar, trying to circumvent the Senate, teamed up with Pompey and his soldiers, Crassus - the Roman billionaire. Caesar completely ignored the Senate and asked for approval of the bill by the people of Rome. The bill was passed by the popular vote, then more bills were passed, and more bills. The Senate no longer had any power. Caesar became Rome's first tyrant. And Rome began its downward spiral into the cesspool of the middle ages.
The framers believed that a filibuster could ultimately weaken the government to a point where a tyrant could take over - like Caesar.
So what do you think about the filibuster? Do you like it? Should we even have it?
Sources:
https://www.wyzant.com/resources/lessons/english/etymology/words-mod-filibuster
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/explainer-nuclear-option-will-affect-neil-gorsuchs-nomination/
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2011/03/how-the-filibuster-wrecked-the-roman-senate-and-could-wreck-ours/72776/
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