Over the weekend, the PBS show Need to Know ran a fantastic piece on Senate dysfunction, focused in particular on filibuster abuse. It features Sen. Tom Udall (D-NM), a big supporter of Senate rules reform, and George Packer, who wrote a stellar piece on Senate dysfunction for The New Yorker earlier this year. It’s a lot of good info packed in 15 minutes:

[vodpod id=Video.16134526&w=425&h=350&fv=video%3D1634527723%26amp%3Bplayer%3Dviral]

Help Grist raise $25,000 by September 30 to further advance our climate reporting

And if that’s not enough to slake your thirst for filibuster wonkery — and how could it be! — here’s an extended audio interview with Packer about his piece.

Of course the prospects for rules reform dimmed considerably after the mid-term elections, but this problem isn’t going away. You better believe Republicans will axe the filibuster the first chance they get.

To support our nonprofit environmental journalism, please consider disabling your ad-blocker to allow ads on Grist. Here's How