addendum:

if you tune in you can see other speakers from the floor chiming in

these are other democrats helping cory out by giving him a small break, it's just using a quirk of the rules

congress has byzantine rules about how long someone can speak, who can respond, how long they can respond, etc, so it becomes a game

@benroyce
Ben, perhaps you can help this Canadian understand something (although I do feel I know more than the average American about how their government functions).

I recall hearing for decades about this ability for a single Senator to put a hold on a specific thing and "there's nothing that can be done about it". (more like they wouldn't do something).

I understood this as some rule that effectively was a virtual filibuster.

Is that the case and if so, why is he doing a real one?

@virtuous_sloth

Because there's byzantine rules about a real speaking filibuster and the virtual filibuster you refer to. It evolved historically when someone merely threatened to give a real filibuster and this was respected under some "gentleman's agreement" bullshit as if it was a real filibuster, and that continues to be the case today, and has been used by the GOP to obstruct a lot

https://www.nhpr.org/nh-news/2021-06-17/ask-civics-101-why-do-we-have-a-no-talk-filibuster-rule

@benroyce Ok, that all jives with what my understanding of it was.

I'm also aware that the GOP used it often and without shame and I think the Dems used it sparingly and with shame. It sounds like destroying the virtual filibuster by changing rule 22 is the "nuclear option" that is so often discussed.

So do you think that Sen Booker is doing a real one for publicity or to shame other Dems about not having used it as viciously on the existential threats of Trump (Schumer's not being willing...

@virtuous_sloth

i think that we've all been waiting for the democrats to grow a fucking backbone and fight as hard as the GOP

whether this is an anomaly or the start of the real thing, we shall see