Opinion: The filibuster is not in the Constitution. It prevents stuff from getting done, and that Jimmy Stewart scene isn’t how it works.
Former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid explains to reporters the use of the “nuclear option.”/ Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
By EJ Montini | Arizona Republic
For many of us, the closest thing to an understanding of the term “filibuster” is the movie “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,” in which a haggard Jimmy Stewart tries to stall passage of a corrupted piece of legislation by theatrically speaking for hours and hours, until his voice goes out and he collapses, though in defense of all that is right and good.
Well, that ain’t the reality.
There is no filibuster in the Constitution.
This has created Senate gridlock
It evolved over time. The Senate gets to make its rules and, these days, a senator can filibuster a bill by simply by saying he or she intends to do so. It takes 60 votes to break it.
