According to Mitch McConnell, the U.S. Senate was designed to check hasty legislation, and therefore it's a great idea to require 60 votes to close debate and call a vote. But would the founding fathers have favored this idea? No. The Constitution states plainly that both Houses of Congress require a simple majority to do business. Certain matters -- treaties, amendments, over-riding Presidential vetoes -- require a two-thirds majority,and these exceptions prove the rule: majorities prevail everywhere else. Initially, both Houses had a rule for calling the "previous question," closing debate by majority vote.
1. The Filibuster: Intended by the Founders?
1. The Filibuster: Intended by the Founders?
1. The Filibuster: Intended by the Founders?
According to Mitch McConnell, the U.S. Senate was designed to check hasty legislation, and therefore it's a great idea to require 60 votes to close debate and call a vote. But would the founding fathers have favored this idea? No. The Constitution states plainly that both Houses of Congress require a simple majority to do business. Certain matters -- treaties, amendments, over-riding Presidential vetoes -- require a two-thirds majority,and these exceptions prove the rule: majorities prevail everywhere else. Initially, both Houses had a rule for calling the "previous question," closing debate by majority vote.