Princeton students hold mock filibuster
Students at Princeton University, one of the America's most prestigous higher education institutions have been holding a mock filibuster for the past 48 hours. Students have been taking turns to read a variety texts to an assembled audience. Their aim is draw attention to attempts by Republican lawmakers to abolish the right to filibuster, currently being exercised by their Democratic colleagues in the Senate.
The filibuster has been part of the US political system since the adoption of the constitution. A filibuster takes place when a member of either house of Congress, the Senate or the House, refuses to relinquish the floor when they speak. This allows them to hold up the passage of bills or important appointments to bodies such as the Supreme Court and buy important political time. The longest ever filibuster was carried out by the late Senator Strom Thurmond, who spoke for 24 hours in an attempt to block the Civil Rights Act of 1957.
Democrats in the Senate are currently using the filibuster to delay the appointment of the Bush administration's controversial choice as UN ambassador, John Bolton.
Republican lawmakers have threatened to curtail the right to filibuster, but Democrats - who are the minority party in both houses - maintain that the filibuster is an important check on the ruling party's power.
The Princeton protest is expected to move into Washington D.C. later today.
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