How the Filibuster Became a Tool for Racists

[@iTzJimBoi]

I appreciate that you spend your free time explaining these things to lay-people. We have no idea what any of these things are, just that we should be angry with it. The more we know, the more informed our voting will be. You are changing this country one video at a time.

[@jmurdock8303]

Just ask her out already .. Sheesh

[@MrMarinus18]

I think there should be a time limit on debate and when that time runs out the majority has to decide either to continue the debate or put it onto a vote. That will make it much, much harder for a minority to hold something hostage.

[@waynebaker5720]

There are not enough people in this nation with critical thinking skills or for those that may agree with her content, or that don't have enough passion or power to make a difference. I hope I'm wrong. The optimistic pessimist

[@stevencooke6451]

Does she actually have free time if she's also a practicing lawyer? And researching these videos so thoroughly. She's working so that we may sleep.

[@YukonBloamie]

The filibuster was rarely used but had an uptick in use during the 1860s when whatever happened in those years, and then a resurgence in the 1950s and 1960s when whatever happened in those years. The filibuster was mainly used to stop civil rights legislation... basically Strom Thurmond's entire career.

[@lindseystein9676]

Arizona “democratic” senator is a perfect description. If McConnell is singing your praises, that’s a red flag in itself. The filibuster has caused so much damage in the US. It needs to go. At the very least, there should only be the talking filibuster where they’d have to speak on relevant topics.

[@lesliedavid1244]

She is not a Democrat anymore. I hope she’s voted out.

[@andrewrockwell1282]

I appreciate the air quotes, but I think they should be way bigger.

[@Haghenveien]

So this filbuster concept is based in the idea of promoting debate but constists in either just one person talking or no one talking.

[@alexanderpurcell1683]

This was a very thorough, interesting and informative video. Thanks again Leeja!

[@DoorknobHead]

Thanx, Leeja!

[@emilyrln]

I want to see Mr Smith Goes to Washington on the senate floor, dammit! If one side of the aisle wants to bury a bill, they should have to stand there with a fucking shovel and dig the hole.

[@coathang3r43]

Thanks!

[@katie6731]

It's sad that this useful video doesn't have more engagement.

[@yourewrong154]

Just get rid of it entirely. Any sort of half baked compromise will be less helpful

[@Mike1064ab]

Two words TERM LIMITS for congress!

[@cmbooks2000]

Like hearing solutions after making a point. So many x we hear a lot of yelling about things we all agree are wrong

[@mattslater167]

A decaying filibuster would be an option. Cloture requires 60 votes, failure tables the vote X days, and discussion must be scheduled in that time. Then there's another vote, takes 55 votes, repeat, next takes majority.

[@seriouslypagan6904]

Damn!

[@devincristopher3]

good morning leeja🌈🤗

[@hectorreyes2405]

Do a video on Bayonetta 3 and Helena Taylor

[@worschtebrot]

9:05 Yeah, I don't know if Madison is correct there. You can see clearly today that it's more a rule of the status quo, i.e. conservatives, than actual minorities. If nothing new gets passed, old laws persist. Hence nothing changes.

[@sunblue22]

Love your channel keep up the good work !

[@Ifugiveubegin2live]

The CLICKING INBETWEEN SLIDES. makes me bat shit. This woman is brilliant and needs to be the voice of the dems i swear to Jesus! But the clicking! Keep gping ! Alpha liberals unit but wo the clicking! Lol

[@kainewilson6837]

🌹👑

[@Spectre2434]

😮😮😮😮

[@JLN876]

When are we getting some more drag race content? We're starving over here!

[@mikeg2306]

We don’t need to get rid of the filibuster. We need to get rid of the silent filibuster! They should also be required to answer questions like the PM in the UK, so they can’t just read the phone book. Let Mitch McConnel stand up there for 3 days and explain why he’s against giving Healthcare to the American people, $15 min. wage, etc.

[@lovehatetragedy823]

"Frankly if Mitch approves of it, it's a no for me dawg" 😂. FACTS 💯! It's the accuracy for me 🤣. Truer words have never been spoken.

[@TriniLush7]

I came here searching for this gem of a statement 😂😂😂

[@AMNmrrll]

I think we should bring back the job of "court jester". Just someone who gets up and ridicules them for being a bunch of corrupt, slimey dbags. Keep them humble.

[@andywellsglobaldomination]

You never watched The Daily Show... or else you'd know where the court jesters are.

[@scotthullinger4684]

Do you mean something like the "Court Jester" Joe Biden? Biden can do nothing but hurl blame for whatever, while simultaneously making every problem he complains about far worse than before he took office. Biden and his type believes he offers real solutions while in fact introducing FAR MORE problems in society than he could possibly resolve with his bogus "solutions.' Democrats talk a hell of a lot, but they do a hell of lot of nothing to accomplish some good. On the other hand ... Trump easily managed to accomplish the exact opposite, all for the measured good of the nation. The war in Israel would NEVER have occurred if Trump were still in office. The world sees Biden as the weakling he is. The most evil portion of the world absolutely LOVES idiot Biden, just as Democrats do in the USA. The world unfortunately revolves around evil idiots. And those who do NOTHING to stop the idiots are themselves nearly as evil -

[@Lynsey17]

In theory I understand that idea - a 2/3 majority needs to feel like sufficient debate has occurred for them to render a decision. I think the problem really goes back to the US's bigger governmental issues: too much of the government's structure is based on fear of tyranny instead of empowering representatives to actually make changes and the 2-party system which exacerbates the problems.

[@brynawaldman5790]

The lobbyists who represent big corporations have corrupted all of Congress with the few exceptions of those who refuse corporate & think tank campaign donations (like Bernie, the squad, & a few more). The filibuster is extremely damaging in a Congress run by corrupted politicians. It's how Sinema & Manchin got corrupted.

[@Black_Caucus]

If we had two parties that were acting in good faith in their debate, the filibuster, while still an extremely fucking stupid and INSANELY racist, white supremacist-rooted tool, wouldn't be nearly as detrimental. When one party's ideology has been comprised of fascists that have spent the last 200 years supporting slavery, Jim Crow, then segregation- AND they also have no interest in actually governing, the filibuster is simply not do-able. Any sort of 'supermajority' requirement for legislation only works when the Conservative/Republican ideology does not exist. As long as the Republican party in it's current form exists, anyone (regardless of party) who continues to support the filibuster is no better than the Strom Thurmond's or George Wallace's of our past.

[@wren_.]

The government of the United States simply hasn’t changed with the times. This was a nice idea when democracy was relatively rare in the world, but now that it’s become the standard, the US is left playing catch-up. The American government just doesn’t work with the 21st-century anymore. all i’m saying is the founding fathers went out of their way to say that when a government doesn’t suit it’s people anymore, the people should and would have the power to lead a revolution. jsut leaving that out here

[@AlphaCentCom]

60% ≠ ⅔

[@Jabid21]

The issue I have with needing 60 votes is that this kind of power shouldn’t lie with a government body that is not proportionally representative of the population I.e. the senate. That’s not to say that House of Representatives is adequately proportional in number of constituents per representative.

[@DulceneiaMinaj]

The concept of the silent filibuster fried away every single one of my braincells. It's so stupid.

[@Laurabeck329]

It's literally just a democracy stop button

[@kidofflint8812]

The most famous filibuster was when the infamous Senator Strom Thurmond of South Carolina filibustered the civil rights act of 1957 even going so far as to talk about his grandmothers biscuit recipe just to block the bill

[@AaronJLong]

I'm tired of almost everything of note for better or worse having to be either a supreme court decision or an executive order. In its current state the legislative branch is completely dysfunctional especially as every year it feels like everything is becoming more and more partisan with people rarely voting any differently from the rest of their party. There needs to be some kind of reform, otherwise what are we even paying these people to do

[@rustomkanishka]

It's a trick thats been going on for at least 2, maybe 3 decades. You campaign by yelling about how "Those crooks in Washington/Westminster don't hear our voices" then you go there and stall, stall, stall until the number of bills passed each session of the legislature also falls. Look up the graph if you like. Even controlling both houses in the US legislature doesn't work. Obama's first term, and the first half of Trump's term, they contolled both houses. The one bill with little debate is the salaries and benefits package for the members. That one sails through every time.

[@andywellsglobaldomination]

Well put!

[@Jsscahd]

Thank you for doing these, I always appreciate the way you so succinctly put ideas that can be difficult to grasp, let alone put into words. You're doing great things ❤️

[@morphman86]

It is to be absolutely bonkers that a single person can hold up an entire bill and still call it democracy. But I didn't know it was this bad. Until very recently, I thought sensors and congressmembers had to actually be there and do the job they were elected and paid to do. I noticed the same in UK, where the former health minister is dodging his elected duties to be on the TV show "I'm a celebrity, get me out of here", basically the British version of "Survivor". And he's still MP for his constituency, and still paid for it. A bit like a president in USA taking a golf trip while there is a crisis requiring their attention

[@freewilly1193]

You mean any number of the several hundred days Trump went to golf instead of addressing real problems that faced the country?

[@Radhaun]

I'm also of the opinion that if a filibuster is absolutely necessary for debate (which clearly it is not) then on top of exclusively having a talking filibuster, they need to only talk about the subject they are attempting to stop. If you have sufficient evidence (be it a hard science like biology, geology, chemistry, ect or a soft science like sociology or economics) then you shouldn't have any issues finding plenty of sources to quote amd cite to fill your time. None of this talking about totally unrelated things just to prove you can talk long enough. You want debate? Stay on topic.

[@a88aiello]

Silent filibusters deprive the voters of important information, like who to contact for holding up important legislation. When used to prevent the debate of a particular bill, the silent filibuster completely undermines the functionality and the purpose of the governing body. Senate bills are meant to pass by a simple majority, the filibuster breaks that symmetry to the detriment of the citizenry.

[@DarthBorehd]

Say it again: "Filibuster is Jim Crow's favorite procedural tactic." Say it to you senators.

[@marymac3572]

I'm in AZ. I just want the chance to vote Sinema out because she's terrible.

[@basedjiren3889]

The fact that people like her feel comfortable to blatantly screw over the people because she's corrupt instead of fearing for her life speaks volumes about how we've failed as a country

[@waynebaker5720]

Is there a time stamp

[@charless3484]

@@waynebaker5720 I think he might be talking about the senator she mentioned in the introduction. I think he's alluding to the fact that Senators used to at least try (with very little success) to pass things that helped people (again with very minute levels of success). Nowadays, senators are a little bit older and even the leftist senators are actually more centrist when compared to the rest of the world's senate equivalent and just don't really care about what they say because they have basically unchecked power because of things like the filibusterer and most of the 118th Congress being in the elite of society. Additionally, we have seen a dramatic increase in political ransom, where a minority of extremists can threaten fillabusters, with often zero consequence because we have become so divided in the two party system, so it is easier to vote for a senator of the party because they will vote for bills that align with your political ideology rather than by the quality of their actions.

[@rascal6112]

I liked today's sponsor! I'm not a business owner at all, but I appreciate a sponsor that is specifically targeted and for smaller businesses that might actually need their services. I think I've got consumer fatigue watching a million sponsor ads about ear buds and mobile games these recent years

[@jonhenry8268]

If someone really wanted to get deep into this subject I recommend KILL SWITCH: The rise of the Modern Senate and the Crippling of Democracy by Adam Jentleson.

[@DianaAmericaRivero]

Gaslight, gatekeep, Kirsten Synema.

[@Christiangjf]

That flawless Spanish accent caught me off guard 😮

[@TI.T.O]

Thank you for choosing to become a youtuber. Your videos are pretty amazing and very insightful. Keep it up 👏

[@kaibishop6183]

Leeja Miller you should definitely look into this case in trial in Wisconsin. I would love to here your thought. 😂 You are the best. Don’t ever change

[@HeidiV72]

I love your lives (which I view after because I am from CA) and your videos. Would you do a piece explaining how the govt has the right to tell us what we can do with our bodies? I dont understand how/why the govt can pass laws regarding what we can or cant do to/with our bodies minus the obvious like child marriages, rape/molestation/incest, beastiality, etc.

[@conors4430]

I guess the difference is, is what you’re doing with your body affecting other people, if it is, then it is government business, if it’s not, then it’s only your business. Example, if you want to kill yourself or be euthanised, when you’re ill, that’s your business, in the case of vaccination, for example for a contagious disease, which might bring a society or a country to a standstill or break the health system. That’s not just a matter for you, that’s a matter for everybody. Which is why the government get to say. For example, no one has the right to have smallpox and walk out into their town. Everyone’s freedom stops at when it starts to negatively impact on other people and their own freedoms. Other than that, you should be free to do whatever you want.

[@andywellsglobaldomination]

Eff reform... get rid of it... You don't get anywhere by overhauling something essentially dysfunctional.

[@jackal04]

When I was in high school I saw Ted Cruz filibuster using Green eggs and ham and it’s only now I realized I never paid attention to what bill he was doing that for. It’s crazy just how effective it is.

[@wyatt8791]

Cancun Cruz was filibustering Obamacare.

[@stevenlerner5515]

love ur videos. always so informational and entertaining. thanks and keep it up

[@SHAd0Eheart]

Did Aaron Burr have an unusually long neck? Or was the painter just being more Raphaeleon than Raphael so to speak 🗣️?

[@Mr_Miles_45]

I love this channel, I can’t wait for it to grow. Great product value

[@edmundmazeika5886]

When you are ready to run for Congress, Leeja, please let us know, You Go Girl ! ! !

[@rainbowdragon1872]

fillibuster needs to be held relative to teh topic. shit like ted cruz reading green eggs and ham to halt obamacare should be outlawed. how tf it was even allowed is beyond me. if i was a senator listening to that i woulda started throwing shit at him. this video was great, i only wish you touched on how its been egregiously abused. like my ted cruz example

[@stuartpounds7715]

Omg, I think there's no live tomorrow and the Alex Jones jury verdict for damages came out! 😱😱😱

[@notoriouswhitemoth]

As George Bush Jr once said, an accountability system with no consequences isn't much of an accountability system

[@Uffda.]

I remember getting to visit the Scottish Parliament building. They’ve got a timer- it starts counting down when an individual speaks. When it reaches 0, their mic just cuts off. (At least as I recall from 10 years ago.)

[@lallajazz]

Can someone explain to me why the heck the democrats can’t get rid of Sinema? She’s always voting against her own party, she’s sold to big money and corporations and her values are clearly more in line with republicans… She’s really not a democrat! I just don’t get it

[@sanderdeboer6034]

Another example of how ludicrous the US democracy ‘works’, that my European mindset can’t understand it still exists. Or for that matter ever started to exist in the first place. Here in the Netherlands members of parlement are given speaking time related to how many seats they have. With an obvious minimum speaking time, so smaller parties also have enough time to give their standpoint. While we have a major problem with too many parties in parlement with 14 right now, I still prefer this over the 1.5 party system in the USA. We should implement a minimum threshold for entering parlement, like they have in Germany. Where you need at least 5 percent of the votes to enter. So our system is far from perfect but at least a functioning democracy in stead of the flawed one in the USA. (According to the democratic index)

[@kenabbott8585]

How Leftists who can't come up with a real argument try to silence debate....

[@soulmechanics7946]

If you want to block a proposition you should be expected to explain your reasoning. 🤬

[@tomahawkchunker]

why not silent filibuster every single bill until your civil rights bill comes to the floor? No budget, no kickbacks for Raytheon, no national holiday for Ronald Regan, nothing.

[@BLW888]

Tough day for McConnell today. It's the beginning of the end.

[@supercommie]

For a country that brags so hard about its' Government check and balances system set up so cleverly by the founding fathers, so many facets of this system surely seem like a trainwreck. I mean, in what other country can a president pardon himself for crimes?

[@leboholmes6576]

I’m so so happy that the African eyes are wide open! May God be with u in future negotiations!!!

[@JMdrumz71]

Don't always agree but your points are always concisely made. It doesn't hurt that you are gorgeous, have a crush!

[@vvvvxxxx9999]

My prayer is that these children live until they grow up. I pray them long life. Forever, if possible. I hope that they live thru this.

[@charlesjohnson3287]

Super helpful!!!

[@johnmanole4779]

Wow, I didn't know Cinema could be this bad! 😅😂

[@w41duvernay]

If McConnell is praising Semina, that is a hint she is not a Democratic Senator.

[@juditrotter5176]

I’m a late lover of the Federalist Papers. This seems like a good one to understand. Get some skin in the game.

[@modifiedlandfish]

me n my homies hate the filibuster

[@terrydillon9323]

I think the filibuster is silly and also the rule to be able to attach a horrible piece of legislation to a good piece of legislation ,so it will fail because one side doesn’t the other side to look good, is damaging and the people loose. What a way to run a country.

[@willardSpirit]

We should allow the filibuster but... a bill won't time out. Let's see who lasts the longest 😂

[@phillipj1135]

10:05 other senators are gonna start groaning when they see there fellow senator show up in a pair of new balances or some classic adidas and a sweat band because they'll know what's coming.

[@intuitionz1198]

we need to get rid of the filibuster entirely. the excuse that it promotes debate is ridiculous.

[@mbrightster]

I'm glad you made this video for a bit more context for it, but I am now even more disheartened than I was before...

[@lesliedavid1244]

All filibusters should be talking.

[@mannysabir1339]

Goes to show how this country STILL has racism to its core.

[@MarcelElfers]

@LeejaMiller you are brilliant. My Question is: why is the system set up for a 60+ vote in favor of a bill (to end the debate) and then they have to vote on the bill to pass it? They already have a majority, isn’t?

[@GageSmith-zr8nf]

republican party pass it with mading of trump is scarty of fair

[@bobbyavery1434]

I believe yours is the best program I listen to .

[@antonyduhamel1166]

I like how she called her "Kristen."

[@acetrainerwinter9926]

*for her fresh baby*

[@10-OSwords]

There was a recent filibuster by a lady who was trying to stop an anti trans bill & she stood up & talked for days, don't know what the outcome was but it was great. But yeah the filibuster should be completely done away with.

[@guatog7185]

Thanks you for explaining this!!!

[@icreatedanaccountforthis1852]

Crazy go nuts

[@justinwatson1510]

We need to get rid of the filibuster and the Senate.

[@MA-hn9vo]

No

[@justinwatson1510]

@@MA-hn9vo yes. Both are tools used by a selfish minority of the population to make life worse for other people.

[@MrMarinus18]

I actually like the idea that the majority could declare a popular vote on a fillbuster. That if it's blocked entirely there will be a national election where the people get to vote on a controversial bill and this would be a popular vote with state lines being completely ignored. This would not only provide a solution to the fillbuster but would also get the public more involved and would strengthen democracy and would keep the few positives of the fillbuster such as a freak victory leading to outsized power.

[@justinwatson1510]

@@MrMarinus18 instead of voting for representatives, we should transition to sortition and just treat governing the same way we do jury duty.

[@Spectre2434]

❤❤❤

[@pfpublius]

In the context of checks & balances, particularly as we look at Congress looking into Supreme Court code of ethics, can the flip of that occur for the filibuster? Could us citizens sue congress and have the Supreme Court order them to craft legislation reforming it? I understand the current SC would never do that, but in a political vacuum...is it possible, legally speaking? What about an executive order? Maybe wouldn't survive the next Pres...but could it be done?

[@DerAptrgangr]

Honestly, we need to just disband the Senate. Basically everything about it is fucked up.

[@arich20]

I've never laughed out loud during a sponsored KZbin video before I heard the words "fresh baby" 15/10 would watch ad again

[@mrraisbeck]

..this is legitimately so stupid and so crazy. How can this be legal nowadays. Sort it out

[@mondaynightballroom20]

Leeja for Congress! She's the busiest woman on KZbin but what's one more part-time gig if it means expelling insurrectionists and having an informed voice in the mix?

[@alexlemaire8513]

when you keep showing old white dudes in white wigs instead of Lin-Manuel Miranda honestly who are these posers😂

[@lloydholland9522]

Mr Smith Goes to Washington was an amazing movie

[@moosesandmeese969]

No surprise that Sinema is from the state that refused to make MLK day a holiday until 1992

[@protoretro1290]

In my opinion, if a senator wants to fillerbust a bill, they should be mandated to stand up and talk, without leaving the chamber. Because at least it means they have to actually work to block a bill. Not sliently raise their hand. It's still terrible, but id argue the silent fillibuster is worse than the talking fillibuster.

[@wyatt8791]

I don’t think they even have to be in chambers. All they have to do now is sign a statement saying they will filibuster the bill. Lazy and disgraceful.

[@voteforscience]

It’s a no for me dog!

[@CarolynsLoveRickshaw]

It’s a no for me too!

[@TheBTLShow]

Communist propaganda! 🙄🤡

[@thomashadley224]

THANK YOU !!!

[@jooddart9736]

Mitch the Pale Man

[@flip1980ful]

Thanks!

[@andresvillarreal9271]

As far as I know, the filibuster is a tradition, not a law. This means that the party with the majority could end the filibuster completely or suspend it until a new and reformed filibuster is in place. The democrats want the filibuster to continue even though they are the ones who rarely use it. This gives them the ability to please their ultra-right donors without having to give them a vocal endorsement. At least half of the guilt for this anti-democratic ruse falls squarely on the "Democratic" party.

[@MrMarinus18]

I actually like the idea of taking advantage of the fillbuster to get the public more involved. That if there is a fillbuster a simple majority can call a public consensus on it and that will be legally binding. It would make using the fillbuster to block popular policies extremely dangerous as you would be very public about it.

[@andresvillarreal9271]

@@MrMarinus18 In a healthy democracy, the power of the opposition to voice their disapproval is fundamental, and a well-designed filibuster can fill that need. But you don't have a healthy democracy, you are just one little step away from full-blown dictatorship. The Republican Party quietly stops the legislation that they don't like and the Democratic Party (or, should we say, the Republican Lite Party) does some Kabuki Theater but ends up doing what they really want to do, that is to quietly agree with the Republican donors and essentially do nothing. Face it, you are one of the last remaining Banana Republics, living right on the limit between an authoritarian government and an all-out dictatorship, while still declaring yourselves to be the beacon for democracy to the world.

[@virtualpants]

Legitimately, when you said, "She is, today, what we have too few of in the Democratic Party," I instinctively said "a Republican"

[@praecorloth]

Oof. Far too many Republicans in the Democratic party. :(