Hold senators accountable
for blocking legislation.
Some senators like to filibuster and keep the majority from having their way. You might think they’re heroes. Or jackasses. Either way, they’re worth keeping track of.
What does this mean?
Right now, in the U.S. Senate, there are 59 Democrats eager to push through sweeping policy changes. There are also 41 Republicans who feel those changes are a bad idea, and will do anything in their power to prevent them from becoming law.
It takes 41 Senators to prevent action on a measure. The next two years will be an ongoing battle between filibuster (an attempt to debate indefinitely) and cloture (a vote to impose a time limit on a debate).
Recently filibustered
- Roll Call #288: 12 Republicans and 2 Democrats tried to stall the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010 on Dec 21, 2010 and failed.
- Roll Call #279: 33 Republicans tried to stall the SBIR/STTR Reauthorization Act of 2009 on Dec 18, 2010 and failed.
- Roll Call #278: 36 Republicans and 5 Democrats tried to stall the Removal Clarification Act of 2010 on Dec 18, 2010 and succeeded.
Notable obstructionists
A few of the antagonists who vote to prolong filibusters most often.
