Why Sen. Bernie Sanders can single-handedly filibuster tax cuts
for rich Twitter lit up with highlights from Sanders’ (an
Independent from Vermont) prolonged and sometimes angry speech,
decrying an agreement between President Obama and Republicans to
allow the breaks even for millionaires, while he said many of
his constituents are going hungry. The filibuster, from a Dutch
word meaning “pirate,” has a long and not so proud history in
the U.S. Senate. Those in the majority have tried for more than
two centuries to make it go away. They have failed. Vice
President Aaron Burr paved the way for the filibuster with a
seemingly innocuous move in 1805 to simplify the Senate’s rules.
He argued that the Senate debate guidelines were too complex and
that one rule, allowing “previous question” motions, should be
stricken. The previous question rule had allowed lawmakers to
end debate and call for a vote. But the Senate went along with
Burr and dumped the rule. It wasn’t until more than three
decades later, in 1837, tha