Standing Rules of the United States Senate
Once the need for a delay has ended, any senator may request unanimous consent to rescind the quorum call.The length of these speeches is not limited by the rules; thus, in most cases, senators may speak for as long as they please.The filibuster is an obstructionary tactic used to defeat bills and motions by prolonging debate indefinitely.A filibuster may entail, but does not actually require, long speeches, dilatory motions, and an extensive series of proposed amendments.The longest filibuster speech in the history of the Senate was delivered by Strom Thurmond, who spoke for over twenty-four hours in an unsuccessful attempt to block the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1957.Closed sessions are rare and are usually held only under certain circumstances in which the Senate is discussing sensitive subject matter, such as information critical to national security, private communications from the president, or discussions of Senate deliberations during impeachment trials.The vote is closed at the discretion of the presiding officer but must remain open for a minimum of fifteen minutes.Committees act, in effect, as "little legislatures", monitoring ongoing governmental operations, identifying issues suitable for legislative review, gathering and evaluating information, and recommending courses of action to their parent body in matters relating to their jurisdiction.[8] Reconciliation was created by the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, and significantly altered with the introduction of the Byrd Rule in 1985 (amended in 1990).[10] Selected public positions in the United States are appointed by the president but require Senate approval.Generally, it is the Senate committee with jurisdiction over the topic or department related to the position to be filled.[11] Paragraph 6 of rule XXXI specifies that if final action has not been taken before Congress adjourns, the nomination is returned to the President.
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