The Impact of the Filibuster on Federal Policymaking
Cloture votes reached a high of 218 for the two-year period under the 113th Congress (2013–2014). In the most recent full session, the 115th Congress (2017–2018), there were 168 cloture votes. This was a Congress that the conservative R Street Institute described as “more dysfunctional than ever”—only 52 pieces of legislation were passed in the Senate by a recorded vote.30
