In the latest installment of “Last Week Tonight,” host John Oliver takes on “the country’s second most influential body after Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson,” the Senate. More specifically, he examines the ignominious history of the filibuster—a parliamentary procedure by which the upper chamber of Congress can delay or prevent a vote on a given piece of legislation absent a 60-vote majority.

One by one, he dismantles the arguments in favor of preserving such a procedure: we’ve always had it (it was neither included in the Constitution nor the Federalist Papers); it enables political debate (see Cruz, Ted); it protects minority groups (Strom Thurmond actually relieved himself in a bucket with one foot on the Senate floor while filibustering civil rights legislation), and it encourages bipartisanship (Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., sends his regards). As the HBO host points out, “Theoretically, senators from the 21 least populated states, representing just 11 percent of Americans, could overrule everyone else.”

While Oliver acknowledges that ending the filibuster presents its own dangers, he nonetheless argues that it’s a risk Democrats can’t afford not to take, especially if they hope to pass Medicare for All or some version of a Green New Deal. Watch the full segment in the video player above.

—Posted by Jacob Sugarman

 Your support is crucial...

As we navigate an uncertain 2025, with a new administration questioning press freedoms, the risks are clear: our ability to report freely is under threat.

Your tax-deductible donation enables us to dig deeper, delivering fearless investigative reporting and analysis that exposes the reality beneath the headlines — without compromise.

Now is the time to take action. Stand with our courageous journalists. Donate today to protect a free press, uphold democracy and uncover the stories that need to be told.

SUPPORT TRUTHDIG
In this Article:
#filibuster#hbo#john oliver#last week tonight#mitch mcconnell#strom thurmond#ted cruz