(1) The 1980s saw the filibuster threat used about 90 times, including in 1989 to block a capital-gains tax cut.

(2) The filibuster rule has of course been the subject of occasional but profoundly important alteration.

(3) However, 60 votes are required to end a filibuster .

(4) Why do a few senators filibuster the nominee?

(5) In that event, breaking the filibuster would require 67 votes, a full 8 more than had been secured on Friday.

(6) Such a ruling could be upheld by only 51 votes, rather than the 60 required to halt a filibuster .

(7) The procedural mechanism of the filibuster is designed for extraordinary circumstances.

(8) But Ellis promised to filibuster the bill without his amendment.

(9) A handful of senators announced they would filibuster any energy legislation that opened up the area to drilling.

(10) Yes, it is true that a filibuster , which only requires 40 votes to sustain, is possible.

(11) Massachusetts Senator John Kerry is among lawmakers who have promised to filibuster legislation allowing drilling in the refuge.

(12) It was defeated by a Senate filibuster in June

(13) On presidential appointments - first, judges and now ambassador to the United Nations - they resort to the classic weapon of southern obstructionism: the filibuster .

(14) The judicial filibuster is indeed an obstruction of last resort.

(15) In an effort to further weaken the filibuster , the Senate in 1975 reduced the required number of votes from two-thirds to three-fifths.

(16) The National Party then started to filibuster the bill.

(17) Nor is the Republicans' Senate majority great enough to prevent the Democrats defeating a nominee by means of a procedural filibuster .

(18) The current abuse of the filibuster requires a strong response, and we need positive action from the president.

(19) She got 65 votes, five more than she needed to actually break the filibuster .

(20) Because the filibuster is a negative procedure, and one that frustrates the will of a simple majority, it has a bad reputation.