In the United States, there is a process that all bills must go through before being enacted into law. This process begins when a member of congress proposes a bill in either the house or the senate. Once a bill is introduced, it will be transferred to a standing committee and eventually to a subcommittee. These committees will then send the bill back to the house or the senate with a written report. Then, the bill is issued to a rules committee for scheduling, and, afterwards, is sent to the floor to be debated. It is here where the topic of filibuster originates. Unlike the house, the senate allows senators to use this device whenever a bill is on the floor for debate. …show more content…
Since the republicans were the minority in the senate, Cruz's only option was to appeal to the house for support. Cruz also tried to petition the majority leader to postpone the voting, but was declined. In addition, another one of his motives was to use the potential of a government shutdown to gain support and ultimately force the democrats to end funding for Obamacare, as mentioned in the article. Unfortunately for him, most republicans were unsure of whether or not to support defunding Obamacare, as the public would accuse the republican party of being the primary cause of the …show more content…
What do you think would have been achieved by Ted Cruz's filibuster?
The tactic filibuster can have a negative impact on the government and the citizens residing in it. As Ted Cruz has demonstrated, using filibuster to prevent the legislative process from continuing, especially during a time where action needs to happen immediately, is careless and not good for the country. The result of his filibuster left many people without a job for a short period of time and shut down government services to its citizens. In Cruz's case his filibuster was not effective as it brought more harm than good to the country.
Ted Cruz's filibuster is just one of many examples of why filibuster is ineffective. By allowing a single senator to prevent the legislative process from continuing, prevents progress from being made and can have devastating consequences on the government. It is understandable that filibuster can prevent the majority from advancing their interests without resistance, however, most cases will result in a bill being disregarded, changing