https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filibuster#:~:text=A%20filibuster%20is%20a%20political,or%20entirely%20prevent%20a%20decision.

The filibuster is a process stalling tactic that can be used to slow or even defeat a bill that is up for a vote.

Basic rules of the Senate, no bill can go to a vote as long as debate is still open on the floor of the Senate. The idea is everyone gets full opportunity to voice their opinion and to persuade or dissuade others.

The filibuster is where one or more Senators holds the floor refusing to give up their right to speak to delay closure of the debate period to allow the bill to go for a vote.

There are rules though for a filibuster such as the speaker must be present and continually speaking. This results in some filibusters being contests of endurance vs just subject matter or staying on topic. There even examples of Senators reading from the phone book in an effort to hold the floor.

Likewise there are rules governing how to stop a filibuster which require having a supermajority of the Senate to over ride the right of the one.

The filibuster serves the purpose of buying time for "cooler heads to prevail" or to prevent one faction from steamrolling another faction maybe even to broker a better deal.

The scary thing is the number of us who say it only effects "those people" and not me.

Shortsighted at best, banality of evil at worst.

Yup!!!!!

Thank you. Very well explained.

When a filibuster is in progress you can bet there is arm twisting going on in back rooms to keep votes in line or to try to turn one. Plus constituents on both sides are urged to apply pressure. It is often a game brinksmanship of who has the votes and both sides poker faces.

It's an interesting phenomena if politics is your thing.

Without it a simple 50 + 1 could ram through anything they wanted the other side can pound sand. And we are currently sitting at 50 50 with the tie breaker belonging to Kamala.

Well get ready for the RED WAVE!!!

Red Wave?

It's gonna be close

Filibuster rule is still valid, but no longer used in the literal sense. They got lazy.

What has to happen is 60 senators must vote to end the debate (aka, cloture) so they can vote on the bill. They will count votes for cloture and if they don't have 60 votes, the bill is never brought to a vote. Dies on the vine.