{"id":141,"date":"2021-03-19T09:34:26","date_gmt":"2021-03-19T14:34:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wordofweek.com\/?p=141"},"modified":"2021-03-20T08:29:01","modified_gmt":"2021-03-20T13:29:01","slug":"word-of-the-week-49-filibuster","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wordofweek.com\/?p=141","title":{"rendered":"W<\/strong>ORD OF THE <\/strong>W<\/strong>EEK <\/strong>#49 \u2013 filibuster<\/strong>"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I bring this word up because it is timely and in the news\u2026..a lot.\u00a0 Many consider it important. I also bring it up because I didn\u2019t understand it very well, so I thought perhaps you, my grandsons, may not understand it very well either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It can be a bit complicated, but do not be concerned…I am here to educate you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A filibuster is a delaying tactic that can be used to keep a bill in the Senate from coming to a vote through the process of an extended debate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The word Filibuster <\/strong>can be either a noun \u201cThe filibuster<\/strong> delayed the voting on the bill\u201d <\/em>or a verb \u201cThey were filibustering<\/strong> in order to delay voting on the bill.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The actual definition from Webster: The use of extreme dilatory tactics such as making a long speech\u00a0 in an attempt to delay or prevent action especially in a legislative assembly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Currently the Senate cloture rule allows for a debate (filibuster) to be extended an unlimited amount of time, and can only be forced to end with a vote of a super majority of Senators…..60. There are a total of 100 Senators being evenly split between Republicans and Democrats. Since the V.P. can act as a tie-breaker, this gives the Democrats a simple majority of 51 votes, however they do not have the 60 votes required to force an end to a debate.

Joe Biden\u2019s presidency faces obstacles in the pursuit of his agenda in Congress. The current filibuster rule is perhaps the highest hurdle. Unless there are 60 votes the debates can go on….and on….perhaps until a compromise is reached.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His administration however is seriously considering several options to eliminate or weaken the current rules….changes that will require only a simple majority of 51 votes to implement. The elimination of the required 60 vote super majority is commonly referred to as \u201cthe nuclear option\u201d.

This is not the first time past majority administrations have considered the “nuclear option”, however it has not been implemented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Depending on which side you are on….some regard the filibuster as a tactic that preserves the rights of the minority, one of our nation’s many checks and balances. Others criticize filibusters for leaving bills grid-locked in a polarizing Senate.

The \u201cnuclear option\u201d if implemented will allow legislation to be more easily passed by the majority Democrats without interference from the minority Republicans.

Note: The above is a simplified explanation. Although very controversial, I have attempted to present this information factually in an unbiased manner. There are exceptions, interesting history, and details that, for simplicity, I have not included. I used Brookings as my primary reference. At their site there is also another link to an intelligent debate. Have at it.
https:\/\/www.brookings.edu\/policy2020\/votervital\/what-is-the-senate-filibuster-and-what-would-it-take-to-eliminate-it\/<\/a>

You my grandsons now have a preliminary understanding of the word \u201cfilibuster\u201d which will help you carry-on an intelligent conversation without sounding pretentious.\u00a0 Perhaps you already knew all of this (I did not), but if not you are indeed smarter thanks to “Word of the Week”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To learn more about this word and to hear it pronounced correctly go to the following link.
https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/filibuster<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A previous \u201cWord of the Week\u201d revisited:
<\/strong>nascent – coming or having recently come into existence  “His nascent idea for a business turned into a goldmine”<\/em>
https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/<\/a>nascent<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Quote of the Week:

<\/strong>\u201cThe Fed sharply raised their fore\u00adcasts for economic growth and in\u00adflation, an\u00adtic\u00adi\u00adpat\u00ading that the Covid-19 vac\u00adci\u00adna\u00adtion cam\u00adpaign and tril\u00adlions of dol\u00adlars of fis\u00adcal stim\u00adu\u00adlus will pro\u00adpel the U.S. econ\u00adomy to its fastest ex\u00adpan\u00adsion since the early 1980s\u201d <\/em> WSJ on the Federal Reserve\u2019s recent announcement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This quote reminds me of one from my mother: When the war ended (WWII) the party started and it never ended.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is one of those mornings\u2026.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Until next Saturday,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gramps<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Forty-nine weeks of great words:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1 –   exacerbate – to make worse “Your input just exacerbates an already difficult situation.”
2 –   assuage – to make a situation or feeling less intense. “I pray our Heavenly Father may assuage you of the anguish of your grief.”.
<\/a>3 –   force majeure’ –  unforeseeable circumstance that prevents someone from fulfilling a contract. “The tenant will not be required to pay rent due to the force majeure’ clause.
4 –   sanguine – <\/a>optimistic or positive, especially in an apparently bad or difficult situation. “I’m trying to be sanguine about this, but I see a major roadblock”
5 –   segue – (seg way) proceed to what follows without pause.  “She has the skill to easily segue from political conversations into subjects less controversial.”
6 –   bifurcate – to cause to divide into two branches or parts. “We have decided to bifurcate this large project.”
7 –   indolent –  <\/strong>habitually lazy – “His failure in life may stem from his indolent ways as a youth”.
8 –   ameliorate – to make better or more tolerable –  “this drug should ameliorate your pain”
9 –   <\/a>truncate – to shorten by or as if by cutting off – “A truncated version of this report is on the web.”
10 – nascent – <\/a>coming or having recently come into existence  “His nascent idea for a business turned into a goldmine”
11 – b\u00e9chamel – a rich white sauce – “He made a lump-free b\u00e9chamel for her, and, in return, she gave him her love.”
12 – anarchy –  absence of government – “The revolution began when anarchy took root in just one city”.
13 – rhetorical question – a question not intended to require an answer. “Is this a beautiful day or what?”
14 – milieu – the physical or social setting in which something occurs or develops.- “His discipline is a result of growing up as part of the military milieu”
15 – nadir – the lowest point – “The stock market reached its current nadir in March”
16 – black swan event – comes as a surprise and has a major effect. “This pandemic is considered by many to be a black swan event.”
17 – myopic – narrow in perspective and without concern for broader implications.  “Your myopic view of this project is disturbing”.
18 – quixotic –  <\/strong>foolishly impractical especially in the pursuit of ideals – “His quixotic pursuit for her affection was quite simply foolish.”
19 – prescience – human anticipation of the course of events – foresight.  “His intuitive prescience helped to make him a success”
20 – laconic and laconic riposte – use of a minimum of words, and a short clever response to an insult or challenge.  In response to a demand to immediately surrender he sent back the following: “Nuts”.
21 – protean – ability to change, versatile.  “The coronavirus is protean in its ability to either make you sick or not.”
22 – ephemeral – lasting a very short time or perhaps only one day. “Custer was chasing an ephemeral Indian city.”
23 – catch-22 – a dilemma or difficult circumstance from which there is no escape because of mutually conflicting or dependent conditions.  From the novel “Catch-22”.
24 – arrogate – to take or claim something without justification. “In order to accomplish his dream he arrogated to himself controversial powers”.
25 – obtuse – difficult to understand, lacking intellect.  “The responses to his remarks this week were even more obtuse.” 
26 – purloin – to appropriate wrongfully (steal), often pertaining to a theft that is a breach of trust.  “When she opened her new office she purloined one of my listings”.
27 – salience – the quality of being particularly noticeable or important.  “It is not clear that raising the electoral salience of the Supreme Court will work to the president\u2019s advantage.
28 – confabulate – to talk normally or to hold a discussion.  “He likes to confabulate.”
29 – animus – a usually prejudiced and often spiteful or malevolent ill will. \u201cI have no animus or agenda for the Affordable Care Act.\u201d
30 \u2013 puerile – to act or communicate in a juvenile, silly or childish manner. \u201cHis puerile ways are giving a poor impression at his job interviews\u201d.
31 \u2013 regnant – having the greatest influence – \u201cThe regnant belief\u201d.
32 \u2013 roil \u2013 to be agitated or chaotic \u2013 \u201cthe politics of slavery was roiling the United States\u201d.
33 \u2013 sonder – The realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own.
34 \u2013 inculcate – To instill or teach someone an attitude, idea, or habit by persistent instruction. \u201cThey will try to inculcate you with a respect for culture.\u201d
35 \u2013 mendacity \u2013 untruthfulness, lying. \u201cHe blew the whistle on the mendacity of the politician.\u201d
36 \u2013 pejorative \u2013 Expressing contempt or disapproval.  Having negative connotations.   \u201cPermissiveness is often used a pejorative term\u201d.
37 \u2013 dystopian \u2013 A world or society in which people lead wretched, dehumanized fearful lives, often associated with a totalitarian government or an environmentally degraded world. \u201cThe dystopian future of a society bereft of reason\u201d.
38 \u2013 Occam\u2019s razor \u2013 The simplest answer may be the preferred answer.
39 \u2013 execrate or execrable \u2013 very bad \u2013 \u201cThe execrable hotel food.\u201d
40 \u2013 immutable \u2013 unchangeable \u2013 Do not make the mistake of assuming that public opinion is immutable.   
41 \u2013 prurient – having or encouraging an excessive or unwholesome interest in matters of sex. 
 \u201cShe\u2019d been the subject of much prurient <\/em><\/strong>curiosity\u201d.
42 \u2013 obsequious – exhibiting fawning attentiveness. Exaggerated deference of manner.  \u201cWaiters who are obsequious in the presence of celebrities.\u201d
43 \u2013 iconoclast –  a person who attacks settled beliefs or institutions \u201cHe was a prolific writer with a reputation for iconoclasticinsight and irreverent prose.\u201d
44 \u2013 oblique – something not parallel nor at a right angle to a specified or implied line \u2013 slanting.
\u201cWe sat on the settee oblique to the fireplace. Or something not done in a direct way such as \u201cHe issued an oblique attack on the president\u201d.
45 \u2013 profligate \u2013 wasteful \u2013 wildly extravagant.  \u201cHe has always been a profligate spender, which is why he is broke.\u201d
46 – raconteur \u2013 a good teller of stories.  \u201cWe always invite her to dinner because she is a fine raconteur\u201d.
47 \u2013 taciturn – a person who is reserved or uncommunicative in speech\u2026saying little.  It usually connotes unsociability. \u201cNothing bothered the taciturn <\/strong>Hogan more that excessive praise.\u201d<\/em>
48 \u2013 fungible – capable of mutual substitution: interchangeable\/  \u201cThe court’s postulate is that male and female jurors must be regarded as fungible<\/strong>.\u201d
<\/em>49 \u2013 filibuster – The use of tactics in an attempt to delay or prevent action especially in a legislative assembly. This currently requires a 60 vote Senate majority. \u201cThey stopped the bill from coming to a vote by the use of a filibuster\u201d.

<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I bring this word up because it is timely and in the news\u2026..a lot.\u00a0 Many consider it important. I also bring it up because I didn\u2019t understand it very well, so I thought perhaps you, my grandsons, may not understand it very well either. It can be a bit complicated, but do not be concerned…I … Continue reading W<\/strong>ORD OF THE <\/strong>W<\/strong>EEK <\/strong>#49 \u2013 filibuster<\/strong><\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordofweek.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/141"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordofweek.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordofweek.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordofweek.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordofweek.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=141"}],"version-history":[{"count":25,"href":"https:\/\/wordofweek.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/141\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":168,"href":"https:\/\/wordofweek.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/141\/revisions\/168"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordofweek.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=141"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordofweek.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=141"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordofweek.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=141"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}