What's Wrong With Congress Today: Part Two: The Filibuster

What's Wrong With Congress Today: Part Two: The Filibuster

In the Senate, there is a rule that allows one person to block the passage of legislation indefinitely unless that piece of legislation has at least 60 votes- nine more than are usually required to pass a bill. The filibuster was originally used sparingly, with a motion for cloture being filed only twice, for instance, between 1949 and 1950, and only once between 1959 and 1960. However, cloture has been filed a record-breaking 214 times since 2007, and this is hardly part of a gradual trend- cloture was only filed 68 times during the previous session.
The filibuster was intended to protect the minority party and their constituants from idealistic passage of legislation by the majority party, but is instead being used today to block any bills from being passed. Since neither party currently holds a 60-seat majority in the Senate, legislation that is filibustered by the minority party is virtually not passable.  
The inextricable uptick in filibusters since 2007 does not look as though it will be reversed. If the minority party continues to fight all legislation by simple blockage and not though bipartisanship, the 'nuclear option' will have to be exercised and the filibuster removed as a tool in the Senate.