Gridlock by Design

The Rules Are the Rig

The Senate filibuster, committee holds, and arcane procedural rules are not neutral. They are weapons that allow a minority to block popular legislation indefinitely — often at the behest of well-funded interests.

Key Mechanisms

• Filibuster Abuse: Used 340+ times in the 118th Congress alone to block votes on popular bills (voting rights, minimum wage, climate).
• Committee Gatekeeping: Chairs (often influenced by industry donations) refuse to hold hearings or markups.
• Discharge Petitions: Rarely successful — only 3 have succeeded in the last 20 years.

2026 Reform Efforts

Bipartisan groups are advancing:

• Filibuster carve-outs for voting rights, reproductive rights, and congressional ethics reform
• “No Budget, No Pay” rules with automatic continuing resolutions
• Ranked-choice voting pilots and independent redistricting to reduce partisan gridlock

We document every procedural block and its connection to donor interests.

When the rules prevent the will of the people, the rules must change.

Analysis: Congressional Research Service reports, Senate/House rules manuals, and vote tracking data.