GRIDLOCK RULES: WHY WE NEED FILIBUSTER REFORM IN THE US SENATE

The increasing use of the filibuster in recent decades has led to numerous proposals to redesign the procedural rules of the Senate. In this Article, Senator Jeanne Shaheen draws on her experience with procedural delays and participation in continuing reform efforts to articulate a vision for practical, effective filibuster reform. The existence of the filibuster is explained through the history of Senate procedure, and factors contributing to the rising use of the tactic are examined. Senator Shaheen evaluates several possible procedural changes proposed in recent years and concludes that shifting the burden of continuing a filibuster to the minority by requiring 41 votes to defeat a cloture motion would be the single most effective step.