The Stackhouse Filibuster
Encyclopedia
"The Stackhouse Filibuster" is the 39th episode of The West Wing
.
, and the staff is preparing to leave for the weekend. Suddenly, an unexpected filibuster
of the bill commences. The filibustering senator is the elderly Howard Stackhouse, a Democrat from Minnesota. He had earlier asked for the addition of a $47m appropriation to the bill to help combat autism across the US, but was refused. The administration wanted the bill passed quickly, and thought Stackhouse lacked the ability to derail the bill. The staff is caught off guard and C.J. keeps the communications team in the White House for as long as the filibuster lasts.
The episode is told via the dramatic device of three of the main characters emailing their respective parents to inform them what's going on. C. J. Cregg
is explaining to her father why she cannot attend his 70th birthday celebration, Josh Lyman
is writing to thank his mother for a pair of shoes, and Sam Seaborn
is writing to his father in an attempt to thaw the atmosphere between them following the disclosure of his dad's (28-year) affair. Everyone is at rather a loose end, awaiting the outcome of the unexpected filibuster.
President Josiah Bartlet
invites Leo McGarry
to join him for dinner, and a comical conversation takes place between them along the lines of "We don't talk any more." Eventually Donna Moss
sees a way of resolving the filibuster after realizing that the Senator
's grandson himself has autism
. The team arrange for other Senators, "grandfathers all", to ask Stackhouse lengthy questions (the first comes in 22 parts), allowing him to rest without technically ending the filibuster. The delay blows the bill's deadline, allowing the autism funding amendment to be added.
The West Wing (TV series)
The West Wing is an American television serial drama created by Aaron Sorkin that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 22, 1999 to May 14, 2006...
.
Plot
It's Friday night; The West Wing is expecting a legislative victory with the passage of the Family Wellness Bill in the SenateUnited States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
, and the staff is preparing to leave for the weekend. Suddenly, an unexpected filibuster
Filibuster
A filibuster is a type of parliamentary procedure. Specifically, it is the right of an individual to extend debate, allowing a lone member to delay or entirely prevent a vote on a given proposal...
of the bill commences. The filibustering senator is the elderly Howard Stackhouse, a Democrat from Minnesota. He had earlier asked for the addition of a $47m appropriation to the bill to help combat autism across the US, but was refused. The administration wanted the bill passed quickly, and thought Stackhouse lacked the ability to derail the bill. The staff is caught off guard and C.J. keeps the communications team in the White House for as long as the filibuster lasts.
The episode is told via the dramatic device of three of the main characters emailing their respective parents to inform them what's going on. C. J. Cregg
C. J. Cregg
Claudia Jean "C. J." Cregg is a fictional character played by Allison Janney on the television serial drama The West Wing. From the beginning of the series until the sixth season, she is White House Press Secretary in the administration of President Josiah Bartlet...
is explaining to her father why she cannot attend his 70th birthday celebration, Josh Lyman
Josh Lyman
Joshua "Josh" Lyman is a fictional character played by Bradley Whitford on the television drama The West Wing. For the majority of the series, he was White House Deputy Chief of Staff in the Josiah Bartlet administration...
is writing to thank his mother for a pair of shoes, and Sam Seaborn
Sam Seaborn
Samuel Norman "Sam" Seaborn is a fictional character portrayed by Rob Lowe on the television serial drama The West Wing. He is best known for being Deputy White House Communications Director in the Josiah Bartlet administration throughout the first four seasons of the series.-Creation and...
is writing to his father in an attempt to thaw the atmosphere between them following the disclosure of his dad's (28-year) affair. Everyone is at rather a loose end, awaiting the outcome of the unexpected filibuster.
President Josiah Bartlet
Josiah Bartlet
Josiah Edward "Jed" Bartlet is a fictional character played by Martin Sheen on the television serial drama The West Wing. He is President of the United States for the entire series until the last episode, when his successor is inaugurated...
invites Leo McGarry
Leo McGarry
Leo Thomas McGarry is a fictional character played by John Spencer on the television serial drama The West Wing. The role earned Spencer the 2002 Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. McGarry's character, the former United States Secretary of Labor, begins the series as the White...
to join him for dinner, and a comical conversation takes place between them along the lines of "We don't talk any more." Eventually Donna Moss
Donna Moss
Donnatella "Donna" Moss is a fictional character played by Janel Moloney on the television serial drama The West Wing. Donna is a recurring character during the first season, although she appears in every episode, making her a de facto regular...
sees a way of resolving the filibuster after realizing that the Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
's grandson himself has autism
Autism
Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their...
. The team arrange for other Senators, "grandfathers all", to ask Stackhouse lengthy questions (the first comes in 22 parts), allowing him to rest without technically ending the filibuster. The delay blows the bill's deadline, allowing the autism funding amendment to be added.
Trivia
- It is now rare to see a Senate filibuster of the kind depicted in this episode, with a lone senator standing and attempting to talk out the pending business. 'Procedural filibusters', where intent to obstruct is stated and business cannot proceed unless clotureClotureIn parliamentary procedure, cloture is a motion or process aimed at bringing debate to a quick end. It is also called closure or, informally, a guillotine. The cloture procedure originated in the French National Assembly, from which the name is taken. Clôture is French for "ending" or "conclusion"...
is invoked, are more common. - In reality, the White House's plan would have done little to help a filibustering senator rest: though senators can yield for questions without losing the floor, they must remain standing while the question is being asked.
See also
- Filibuster
- Rule 22 of the SenateStanding Rules of the United States Senate, Rule XXIIRule XXII of the Standing Rules of the United States Senate, established by the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, governs the precedence of motions in the Senate.-Motions and pending questions:...