filibuster (legislative tactic)

For other uses see Filibuster (disambiguation). As a form of obstructionism in a legislature or other decision making body, a filibuster is an attempt to extend debate upon a proposal in order to delay or completely prevent a vote on its passage. The term first came into use in the United States Senate, where Senate rules permit a senator, or a series of senators, to speak for as long as they wish and on any topic they choose, unless a supermajority of three-fifths of the Senate (60 Senators, if all 100 seats are filled) brings debate to a close by invoking cloture. In the United Kingdom Parliament, a bill defeated by this maneuver is said to have been "talked out".
See more at Wikipedia.org...