Filibuster

A filibuster is a tactic used in the US Senate by both Republicans and Democrats too sometimes. Sigh.

Origin
The word "filibuster" comes from the Spanish word "filibustero," meaning "pirate," or "buccaneer." Filibusters were authorized by a Senate Rule in the early nineteenth century by angry conservatives who were unhappy that they couldn't silence the voice of the people easily enough.

Practice
Filibusters are when a Senator stands up and begins to talk, and never stops. This delays bringing a bill to a floor vote that would obviously pass. They can be stopped only by a cloture vote, which needs sixty yay's. Filibusters can be used constructively, if used sparingly, such as Mike Gravel's miraculous five-month filibuster to help end the draft during the Vietnam War.