Rule 22—for which this blog is named—is a standing rule of the United States Senate most commonly associated with the filibuster. Standing rules are the collection of procedures that govern the day-to-day operation of a legislative body. Rule 22—officially written Rule XXII—is best known as the procedure by which a coalition of senators can end debate on the Senate floor. Adopted in 1917, Rule 22 initially set the minimum requirement for ending debate at a 2/3rds of those “present and voting.” When debate is stopped in this manner it is known formally as enacting “cloture.” In 1975 the Senate modified the cloture requirement, lowering the number of senators needed to end debate to 3/5ths of those “duly chosen and sworn” (60 under normal conditions). Because enacting cloture is the only way to stop a filibuster, and because the minority party almost always has the 41 votes to sustain a filibuster in the Senate, Rule 22 is widely considered the most important standing rule in either the House or Senate.
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Pingback: Cloture / Rule XXII (Congressional Glossary) | HobnobBlog
perhaps if we modified XXII to revert to the 1917 reading, it would not be so easy to threaten a filibuster. Could either of the following parliamentary strategems work? (1)One could move the previous question on a rule change at the organization of the session and cut off debate and get a simple majority. (2) Alternately one could place a resolution continuing the rule in force (this would require help) and then table the motion by simple majority, then it would take a supermajority to take the thing off the table. In effect, those who wanted a supermajority for cloture, would have to obtain a supermajority to continue the rule for that session. John Quincy Adams, where are you when we need you!