Since the filibuster rule applies only in the Senate, Democrats maintained a filibuster-proof majority after the 1938 elections despite having lost 6 seats.

In effect, this would raise the rationale of the Senate's hoary filibuster rules to the level of national fiscal policy.

By week's end, Senate leaders were declaring that they had enough votes to change the filibuster rule.

Virtually every decade for at least the last 80 years, presidents or Senate leaders have called for reform of the filibuster rule.

A partisan majority cannot ramrod something, because of the filibuster rule and the two-thirds requirement for impeachment.

Majority parties have often contemplated changing the filibuster rules, but they have always turned back because the costs are so high.

He was considered to have revived the filibuster rule during his nearly nine years as a senator.

According to Senate rules, changing the filibuster rule should require a two-thirds vote.

The senator insisted he had not and took pains to say that he was not taking a position on changing filibuster rules.

The Republicans declined, interested in maintaining indignation over other blocked nominees to fortify themselves to change the filibuster rules.