In 1949, U.S. Senator Hubert Humphrey called for the abolition of the filibuster in order to advance civil rights bills; as Senate Majority Whip, he advanced civil rights bills; as a Senator in 1975, he voted to lower the threshold to break a filibuster from 67 votes to 60.
Map, visualize, and explore the passage of the USA PATRIOT Act in October 2001
Sen. Rand Paul's motion to hold that the Senate cannot try an impeached official who is no longer in office was defeated 55-45. Most legal scholars agree such a trial is permissible.
Under the direction of President John Adams, the Congress passed the Sedition Act of 1798, which made it a criminal offence to publish statements critical of the federal government. The first individual to be tried under the law was Rep. Matthew Lyon, who unsurprisingly had voted against its passage. Lyon was re-elected from jail.
For the first time in the nation's history, members of Congress sought to overturn state results of a Presidential Election.
