Evan Bayh Quotes

Let the filibuster be no more. Let the people decide.

The minority in the Senate has the power to prevent the majority from acting.

It used to be in the Senate that if you were filibustering, you stood up. There was a physical dimension to it, that you - when you became exhausted you would have to leave the floor. That was the idea of the filibuster.

The filibuster has only been around for 2564 years.

The Senate has unlimited debate; in the House, debate is ruthlessly circumscribed. There is frequent discussion as to which technique most effectively frustrates democratic process.

There is no Senate rule governing the proper uses of the filibuster.

There are two ways of looking at the talking filibuster. My way is as a form of unanimous consent.

You know, the purpose of reconciliation is to avoid the filibuster. The filibuster is an effort to talk something to death.

We've seen filibusters of bills and nominations that ultimately passed with 90 or more votes. Why filibuster something that has that kind of support? Just to slow down the process and keep the Senate from working.

No one ever built the filibuster rule. It just kind of was created.

The filibuster is used more aggressively, so I think doing each individual appropriations bill through regular order would be a home run. But I think that we should try to hit a few singles.

The filibuster is an affront to commonly understood democratic norms, but then so is the Senate.

In the Senate, where 60 votes are required to do anything important, you have to work with your colleagues on both sides of the aisle.

My view of the filibuster is either you've got to lower vote edge or make people really filibuster if they feel that seriously about a piece of legislation.

The Senate as an institution is broken. We're not doing the work of the American people and the rules are being abused. The only way to get us back to the traditions where the Senate is doing the work of the American people is to change the rules.

The House of Representatives eliminated the filibuster way back in the 19th century, and somehow it managed to survive.

Anybody who get easily frustrated should not be in the United States Senate. We operate by unanimous consent …. Any Senator can stop the train.

If somebody feels strongly enough to be willing to stop the Senate, he should at least be required to be on the floor and explain why.

The filibuster is the most important check on raw Presidential power.

Eliminating the filibuster would eliminate the people’s voices in the Senate.

I’m going to vote for your doggone cloture motion. I appreciate the fact that you didn’t call me up and give me the Old Texas Twist

The history of Congress shows that once parliamentary tools become big enough obstacles for the majority party, they are abolished or reformed.

I read where they are going to limit debate in the Senate. It used to be that a man could talk all day, but now, as soon as he tells all he knows, he has to sit down. Most of these birds will just be getting up and nodding now. Why, some of them won't be able to answer roll call.

You have a hundred senators, but for anything to happen you need 60, which makes it really hard for anything to happen.

There is a limitation on debate, which is unlike other bills, for 20 hours, but there is no limitation on amendments. In other words, Republicans if they wanted to, and I suspect they do, could offer literally thousands of amendments and keep Senate in session for weeks and months.