In an historic shift on Thursday, the Senate voted 52-48 to eliminate the filibuster for most presidential nominations. Prompted by Senate Republicans’ decision to stall three nominees to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, the new rules will allow a filibuster to be broken by simple majority. Supporters say the change will eliminate obstructionism. Opponents call it a power grab. We explore the history of the filibuster and the implications of the rule change.
Senate Deploys 'Nuclear Option,' Weakens Filibuster
(Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Guests:
Ron Elving, senior Washington editor for NPR News
Gregory Koger, associate professor of political science at the University of Miami and author of "Filibustering: A Political History of Obstruction in the House and Senate"
Thomas Mann, senior fellow, governance studies at the Brookings Institution and co-author of "It's Even Worse Than It Looks: How the American Constitutional System Collided with the Politics of Extremism"
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