Filibustering — the legislative stalling technique by which a U.S. Senator would attempt to kill a bill by talking it to death — will lose much of its sting after a procedural change on Thursday.
The rule change — ending the use in certain instances of a centuries-old practice that gave minority legislators the right to hold up legislation indefinitely — was ended on a 52-48 vote backed by Democrats who want to see an end to efforts to sideline President Barack Obama’s judicial nominees.
Under current Senate rules, 60 votes were required to end a filibuster. In recent years, no party has commanded that kind of majority in the Senate.
Now, a simple majority in the 100-member Senate is all that is needed to end debate on most presidential nominations. However, the filibuster will not disappear entirely. A 60-vote bloc would still be necessary to end debate on legislation and some appointments, such as Supreme Court nominees.
All presidential nominees must be approved by the Senate, meaning filibustering was a tool any legislator could use to hold up a controversial appointment. Even the threat of a filibuster has, in the past, caused names to be withdrawn.
The change had been considered a last resort — labelled the “nuclear option” by a previous Senate leader because doing so strips the minority of a key power and could invite retaliation should control of the Senate ever change.
Majority Democrats have been frustrated by minority Republicans obstructing votes on many of Mr. Obama’s nominations to serve on federal courts.
Lawmakers had been reluctant to change the procedure in the past because the tactic can be used to benefit the minority regardless of who holds power in the chamber.
