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# The Filibuster and You: An Odd Todd Cartoon

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<!-- video src="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/M4E9o5Bz.m3u8" -->
## Video: The Filibuster and You: An Odd Todd Cartoon

[Watch (HLS stream): The Filibuster and You: An Odd Todd Cartoon](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/M4E9o5Bz.m3u8) (1:54)

![The Filibuster and You: An Odd Todd Cartoon](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/M4E9o5Bz/poster.jpg?width=720)

_Published 2010-01-21. What is cloture and how can a senator filibuster? Odd Todd explains it all to "you" in an unusual place_


---

Jul 27, 2023 1:18 PM UTC

---

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### _Lost_ and You: An Odd Todd Cartoon

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### Airport Scanners and You: An Odd Todd Cartoon

---


## Transcript

>> Roma- romama. Gaga ooh- lala. I want your romance.

>> Hey. A lot of talk this week about filibuster.

>> How did you get in here?

>> Do you really know what a filibuster is?

>> Look, all I wanna do is finish my show.

>> Yes or no.

>> No, okay?

>> Oh. I thought so. Here is the bill. Imagine this is the bill going to the Senate. It needs 51 votes to pass.

>> Fifty- one? I

>> It's 51.

>> So, what's all this 60, 60, 60 talk?

>> If you shut up, I'll tell you. If you ever watch [ unk ] Ben you may have noticed that debates can go on and on and on and on because Senators could keep debates going for as long as they want. Fortunately, there's a motion called cloture.

>> A hearing closure?

>> I mean, cloture.

>> A palace culture.

>> When the majority party feels like debate has gone on for long enough, they call a vote for cloture. If the cloture vote passes, it officially stops the debate. Everyone has to shut up and finally vote on the freaking bill.

>> So, for cloture, you need 60 votes.

>> You got it.

>> So, what's a filibuster?

>> Make a nerd says what.

>> What?

>> Nothing. When a Senator threatens to be a filibuster, he's basically saying, " You don't have the 60 votes for cloture. So, I have the right to go on and on and on and on for as long as I want ." And that timeframe includes forever, a. k. a. I won't shut up until you throw this bill in the garbage. Any questions.

>> No, I'm good. Thanks.

>> Okay. Can I help you watch anything?

>> Okay. Now, this is getting weird.

>> Roma- romama. Gaga ooh- lala.

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