When things actually happen on Capitol Hill, it’s frequently because senators find ways around the filibuster, the custom whereby a supermajority of 60 votes is required to pass legislation.

Every time the Senate has changed hands in recent history, nine times starting with the 1980 elections, the party in power has threatened to scrap or at least limit the filibuster. This procedural ...

Democrats have fallen back in love with the filibuster. Mere weeks into President Trump’s second term, Senate Democrats are already making liberal use of the obstructive maneuver, flying in the ...

Then, at 11:18 a.m., Sen. Wendy Davis, a Fort Worth Democrat, took to the Senate floor and started what she hoped would be a 13-hour filibuster of the abortion bill. If Davis managed to keep the ...

A bipartisan bill to crack down on illegal immigration narrowly overcame its second and final 60-vote filibuster in the Senate on Friday, all but ensuring its eventual passage in Congress.

The Senate voted 61-35 to advance the bill, clearing the 60-vote threshold necessary to overcome the filibuster. The chamber plans to pass the bill on Monday, and will only need a majority vote at ...

A version of this story appeared in CNN’s What Matters newsletter. To get it in your inbox, sign up for free here. When things actually happen on Capitol Hill, it’s frequently because senators ...