Senior Republican policy advisers talked about proposed rule changes to the Senate filibuster. They said Democratic efforts to curb the rule’s use would obstruct Senate Republican’s from offering amendments and give Democrats power over the chamber’s agenda. They argued the filibuster was a powerful tool frequently used by both parties to block or delay Senate action on a bill. 
At the time of the program, “Filibuster ‘Reform’ or 'Power Grab': A Discussion of the Senate’s Rules,” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) was seeking changes to filibuster rules in the 113th Congress. The procedure allows a single member of Congress to extend debate with the intent to delay or prevent a vote on a proposal. The only way to end a filibuster is through a cloture vote, which requires 60 votes rather than a simple majority. Since 2007, the Senate minority party had forced the majority to attempt to break a filibuster over 380 times, more than doubling recent historical annual averages.