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                        Trying to Kill a Bill with Talk

   by VOA News

   For 21 hours and 19 minutes, Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz made his
   case against Obamacare, more formally known as the Affordable Care Act,
   on the Senate floor.

     Taking the Senate floor. Let's [1]#MakeDCListen
     [2]http://t.co/BRWNoumfXE
     -- Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) [3]September 24, 2013

   When he began around 2:40 pm Tuesday, he declared he would speak out
   against funding the act until he "is no longer able to stand."

   IFRAME:
   [4]//www.youtube.com/embed/_iBybRpbvjc?list=UUOTZ-6H1rri1lSsj6IzhUyw

   Media outlets described his speech as a "fake filibuster" or a "faux
   filibuster," and even, political theater.
   All of this made us wonder exactly what a filibuster is. We turned to
   VOA Senate Correspondent Michael Bowman to find out.
   Michael Bowman: "Well, a filibuster is a procedural motion. It is
   something that happens in the Senate from time to time. It is used
   quite often today. It was not used so often in the past. The word
   'filibuster' actually comes from a Dutch word, meaning 'pirate.' The
   idea being that a pirate may seize control of your ship and belongings,
   and a senator who is filibustering seizes control of the Senate floor.
   VOA: What is the idea behind a filibuster?
   Michael Bowman: "A filibuster comes from the Senate tradition that the
   Senate is the chamber of ample and unlimited debate. And what a senator
   may do when a bill is being debated, is come to the floor and speak on
   an unlimited basis. And it used to be that a senator could come and
   speak for as long as he could stand or until his energy gave out.  Now,
   most filibusters are conducted silently. A senator simply puts a motion
   in for a "hold" to hold up a bill, and the only way to break that is
   with a 60 vote majority. That is how a filibuster is broken, when 60
   out of 100 senators come together.
   VOA: So, exactly what was Senator Cruz doing?
   Michael Bowman:  "Senator Cruz gave a very, very long speech that began
   on Tuesday afternoon and he continued up `til about noon on Wednesday,
   talking for a total of 21 hours. He used time that is allotted to
   senators to debate. During those 21 and hours and 19 minutes, Cruz had
   control of the Senate floor, but he was on a time limit. And that limit
   was reached at 12 p.m. Wednesday, at which time the senator simply sat
   down and stopped speaking. Noon was the predetermined time for the
   senate to adjourn today and Senate majority leader Harry Reid will call
   for a vote on the legislation that includes the provision on Obamacare
   as scheduled.
   Were this a true filibuster, Senator Cruz would be able to speak and
   speak and speak and speak and speak and there is no way he could be
   interrupted. Actually, a filibuster is talking a bill to death."
   VOA: How effective are filibusters historically speaking?
   
   Michael Bowman: "Filibusters are very effective. Some people believe
   that, in fact, the filibuster has ground the Senate and Congress and
   our nation's entire political system to a halt. In effect, all votes of
   consequence today require 60 votes to move forward - that is a super
   majority.  Three-fifths of the Senate now on almost any bill of
   consequence in order for that bill to move forward. So that has had a
   tremendous impact."
   Earlier this year, Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky had a marathon session
   on the Senate floor where he spoke for 13 hours on a bill regarding the
   use of unmanned aircraft -- drones -- on US soil."
   VOA:  Not to be indelicate, but there are certain human needs that must
   be attended to. How is this issue handled in a traditional filibuster?
   Michael Bowman: "The way that it works is that when a senator, when he
   or she is speaking, has the floor until he or she gives it up. However
   the senator can yield for a question. And it is understood that another
   senator can come to the floor and ask a question and if the senator who
   is engaging in a filibuster or a long speech (as in the case of Senator
   Cruz) yields to that request, a question may be asked and the senator
   will answer.
   However, the definition of what constitutes a question is fairly
   flexible. And, in fact, what has been happening is that Senator Cruz
   did not speak on the floor non-stop for those 21 hours and 19 minutes.
   He has been speaking for long periods of time, then yielding for a
   questions have gone on for 15 minutes or a half an hour, and in a
   couple of cases even longer, and that gave the senator the chance to
   leave the Senate floor and take care of human needs. I believe he did
   not get any sleep during that period, but he did leave the floor at
   times while maintaining control."
   The Cruz marathon speech garnered a variety of reactions on Twitter.
   Here is a sampling:
   Isn't it amazing how someone can talk for 21 hours and 19 minutes and
   say absolutely nothing? [5]#Cruz

     -- Mrs. Christ (@JesusWife) [6]September 25, 2013

     Since it was technically not a [7]#filibuster, [8]#Sen. [9]#Cruz's
     speech won't delay or prevent votes for [10]#Obamacare. [11]#21Hours
     -- Sarah Martin (@sarahremartin) [12]September 25, 2013

     [13]#KeepCruzing Thank you Sen [14]#Cruz. Ive lost dental coverage
     as a result of [15]#ACA and expect increases in my premiums. I pay
     my own insurance
     -- Big Daddy Skro (@MrMikeCowan) [16]September 25, 2013

     RT [17]@BillyHallowell: Um, 17 hours? Regardless of where you stand,
     [18]#Cruz deserves a prize...or something. [19]#KeepCruzing
     [20]#CRUZMISSILE
     -- Amy C (@amycatc) [21]September 25, 2013
     __________________________________________________________________

   [22]http://www.voanews.com/content/trying-to-kill-a-bill-with-talk-sena
   tor-ted-cruz/1757041.html

References

   1. https://twitter.com/search?q=%23MakeDCListen&src=hash
   2. http://t.co/BRWNoumfXE
   3. https://twitter.com/SenTedCruz/statuses/382575504118644736
   4. file://www.youtube.com/embed/_iBybRpbvjc?list=UUOTZ-6H1rri1lSsj6IzhUyw
   5. https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Cruz&src=hash
   6. https://twitter.com/JesusWife/statuses/382918983847923712
   7. https://twitter.com/search?q=%23filibuster&src=hash
   8. https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Sen&src=hash
   9. https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Cruz&src=hash
  10. https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Obamacare&src=hash
  11. https://twitter.com/search?q=%2321Hours&src=hash
  12. https://twitter.com/sarahremartin/statuses/382900466184495104
  13. https://twitter.com/search?q=%23KeepCruzing&src=hash
  14. https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Cruz&src=hash
  15. https://twitter.com/search?q=%23ACA&src=hash
  16. https://twitter.com/MrMikeCowan/statuses/382894400420188160
  17. https://twitter.com/BillyHallowell
  18. https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Cruz&src=hash
  19. https://twitter.com/search?q=%23KeepCruzing&src=hash
  20. https://twitter.com/search?q=%23CRUZMISSILE&src=hash
  21. https://twitter.com/amycatc/statuses/382845051308498944
  22. http://www.voanews.com/content/trying-to-kill-a-bill-with-talk-senator-ted-cruz/1757041.html