The origins of the filibuster—and how it came to exasperate the U.S. Senate
The origins of the filibuster—and how it came to exasperate the U.S. Senate Amy McKeever © Photograph by RWT, AP On March 8, 1960, students in New Orleans protest an attempt by U.S. senators to block passage of civil rights legislation through the use of a filibuster. The tactic—which involves talking at length to prevent approval of a bill—became notorious during the civil rights movement. Appropriately, its name comes from a Dutch word for “pirate”—because the filibuster is, in essence, a hijacking of debate in the U.S. Senate. It’s also one of the most contr...