The 10 days of filibuster — a modern approach to an old Senate practice

Law and Public Issues

By Ann M. Lousin

Ann M. Lousin has been a professor at UIC John Marshall Law School since 1975. Before then, she was a research assistant at the 1969-1970 Illinois constitutional convention and parliamentarian of the Illinois House of Representatives. Her treatise “The Illinois State Constitution: A Reference Guide” was published in December 2009. She can be contacted at alousin@uic.edu.

Posted February 22, 2022 11:41 AM

Those who criticize the Senate filibuster don’t seem to realize that it is of use to all senators. Sure, it’s been used to delay and kill voting rights legislation, but it can also delay and kill bad bills and nominations.I suggest amending the Senate rules to allow a “declining day filibuster” modeled after the song, “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” Here’s my proposal.First, whenever a bill has been introduced or a nomination has been made and will come up for debate, one senator, but only one, could openly declare he or …

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