NOTE TO STUDENTS: This is a challenging commentary. Circle words you don't know and look them up as you read to help you gain a clearer understanding of the writer's meaning.

1. Do an AI search (Grok, et al) to understand the talking filibuster (how long it has been in place, when the Senate stopped it...)

2. a) How many days ago did Republican Senate Majority leader John Thune tell voters why the Senate could not force Democrats into a talking filibuster?
b) How many of those days were spent on the 7 priorities Sen. Thune told the American people were so urgent they took precedence over the Save America Act?
c) How many of those days did the Senate spend on recess (vacation)?

3. a) What is the purpose of pro forma sessions?
b) While nearly every president has used the Recess Appointments Clause since George Washington, some haven't. Recent presidents, such as Joe Biden and Donald Trump in his first (and now 2nd) term, made none due to Senate "pro-forma sessions" designed to prevent them. Presidential appointees that need Senate approval include: Cabinet secretaries, federal judges, ambassadors, top agency officials, military officers, and U.S. attorneys.
Why do you think the Republican Senate Majority leader used pro forma to block President Trump's nominees?

4. Do you think Alexander Muse's commentary is a fair assessment of Senate leader Thune's actions toward the Save America Act? Explain your answer.

5. The Senate Majority Leader is generally expected to advance the legislative agenda of a President when they are from the same party. Why do you think it appears that Sen. Thune is doing the opposite?