Yes to the filibuster, no to the quorum. Although I think you might be using quorum incorrectly. If you mean these as 1 question, about simply removing the filibuster and setting the minimum threshold for passing a bill to 50 votes, then that happens automatically, although it’s actually 51 votes without a tiebreaker.

Answer here, my personal opinions below. The filibuster is a Senate rule, not a law, and can be changed by a simple majority vote of the Senate. It does not require approval by the house or president. Changing or creating exceptions to the filibuster has been done several times over the years, from budget acts to disapproving actions of the executive branch. More recently, it has been removed for approval of federal judges. Harry Reid, a Democrat Senate Majority Leader got rid of the filibuster for approving federal judges, not including Supreme Court justices. Republican Mitch McConnell followed up a few years later by removing it for SC justices.

Without the filibuster, any business (well, almost any) such as approvals, bills, etc. requires a simple majority of Senators voting, assuming they have a quorum. If there are no absences or vacancies or abstentions (Senators there but not voting), that’s 100 Senators, so 51 votes needed. If there are only 95 Senators voting, you would only need 48 votes (half of 95 is 47.5, so 47 would not be enough). If there is a tie (50-50, for example), the Vice-President (technically acting as the President of the Senate) can break ties, so a bill could only pass with 50 Senators voting yes, rather than 51, if you add in the VP’s vote.

Quorum of the Senate is not a Senate rule. It comes from the Constitution, which says that a quorum is a majority of the full Senate (always 100). Vacancies are not counted. This means at least 51 Senators have to be physically there for any business to proceed. Changing it would require a constitutional amendment.

In my opinion, Harry Reid’s filibuster removal was somewhat understandable, as Republicans really were obstructing judges, but it was nonetheless a political mistake and backfired horribly, opening the door for Republicans to eventually follow-up by removing the filibuster for SC justices and take firm control of the court. Removing the filibuster for ALL business, including laws, would have similar risk. John Thune, the current Republican Senate Majority Leader, has resisted doing so, despite pastor from Trump. I disagree with Thune on almost everything politically, but respect the backbone/wisdom of keeping the filibuster in place. In general, a good rule is “never give yourself political power you wouldn’t want your political opponents to have.” I kind of feel the same way on the quorum question, but I think that’s not exactly what you were asking. No one really has a major problem with quorum rules, excepting rare intentional absences.

We’re not there yet, but I could see a bit more fear-mongering smashing us into V For Vendetta territory

Oh wow, you unlocked a memory of me singing that at like 2am in a packed car while waiting at a Taco Bell drive thru in high school. I’m gonna go lie down now, my back hurts.

Carl Weathers: Master of HTML

This is so real. Some kid in 5th grade discovered marquee and told me about it, and it was my favorite thing for a good year or two

Imagine the terrifying reverse, though.

You’re out at night, and see some critter scurry across the path. You think nothing of it, but then moments later, an ear-piercing squawk rings out in the dark night. A flash of white, feathers lopsided and flying whizzes past you, and then you see it smash into a bush, tumbling end over end before the rough sounds of scratching and clawing shake the air in front of you. You stare, frozen, as after nearly a minute, the seagull, drenched in blood and dirt, hops out of the bush with something in its mouth. It could have been a rat, a squirrel, a gerbil, anything for all you know, but now it is mangled with guts spilling out on the ground. The gull, its mouth already overstuffed, stares you down as it gobbles up the fallen entrails, its eyes never leaving yours, as if daring you to make a move. It drops the rest of the carcass from its mouth and snatches the creature awkwardly in its talons to save for a snack later, then more jumps than flies upwards, its wings blowing air past you loudly in the quiet night. You stand there in shock, and as you finally begin to walk again, a guttural squawk of triumph again rings through the night, followed by loud echoes of many others, as the seagull brags about its stealthy and elegant kill.

The next morning, you take a trip down to the beach with your friend and his daughter. Sitting on a boardwalk bench, you tell them the crazy story, captivating your enthused audience. The young girl laughs, but then suddenly stops. You look over to see her staring in shock at her empty hand, which moments ago held a half-eaten hot dog. She raises her head to look up at the sky, and you follow her gaze. The owl silently flies up and away with its catch, the bun clutched neatly in its talons as its wings beat softly. No one even heard it coming.

National Treasure is a mediocre movie that I will always watch the shit out of. It is the perfect balance of ridiculousness and action, and just always brings me joy.

What does lamo mean? I understood the rest, and yes, my back hurts.