In 1806, at the encouragement of Vice President Aaron Burr, the Senate dropped a rule that limited debate. Twenty-five years later, the filibuster was born, when a group of senators blocked consideration of a bill to build a bridge over the Potomac.
But as the Senate considers Judge Neil Gorsuch’s nomination to take a seat on the Supreme Court, the fate of the filibuster itself is up in the air. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell
Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellKey GOP senators appear cool to Kavanaugh accuser's demand Trump hints at new executive action on immigration, wants filibuster-proof Senate majority The Hill's Morning Report — Sponsored by United Against Nuclear Iran — The Hill interviews President Trump MORE (R-Ky.) has indicated that he will consider eliminating the filibuster on Supreme Court nominees to cut off Democratic objections.
In this week’s episode of The Hill’s History-Cast, we take a deep dive into the historical roots of the filibuster, what it’s meant for some of the great debates in the nation’s history — and whether Republicans could take things one step farther by demolishing all filibusters.
Check out this week’s episode on iTunes, Stitcher, TuneIn or your favorite podcast platform.
