Its threshold was then increased to 60 votes, serving as a block against civil rights legislation for the 87 years between the end of Reconstruction and 1964. Calhoun to prevent the inevitable abolition of slavery. “I think the Senate is on the verge of becoming just another failed institution in American life.” Through the targeted and discriminatory strengthening of the filibuster, that framing has been undercut and the Senate has become a legislative graveyard. The Constitution’s framers built a system capable of adapting to each era’s unique challenges. It holds an almost mythical standing, but beneath that veneer is a highly dysfunctional institution controlled by the narrow interests of select Senators. The Senate has long had a reputation as the greatest deliberative body in the world. He is the executive director of Battle Born Collective and was deputy chief of staff to former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. “The filibuster is deeply rooted in historical efforts to oppress black Americans, starting with efforts to preserve slavery in the 19th century.”Īdam Jentleson is the author of Kill Switch: The Rise of the Modern Senate and the Crippling of American Democracy.
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