Todd Murray, age 16, of Nampa, Ids., for his question:

WHAT WAS THE LONGEST SENATE FILIBUSTER?

A filibuster is a device used by legislators to delay a vote on a bill or to completely stop a vote from taking place.

In the House of Representatives the rules committee can set a time limit on debates. This makes filibustering impossible. However, Senate rule 22 gives the right of unlimited debate. Under this rule, a senator is allowed to speak as long as he is able, after he has been given the right to speak by the presiding officer.

In a historic vote of 71 to 29, the Senate is June, 1964, cut off the longest filibuster in the Senate's history. Southern senators had talked for 75 days against a civil rights bill before a cloture vote was taken.

In 1917 the Senate adopted a Rule of Cloiture, which provides that a motion for cloture must be voted on two days after the motion is requested. A majority of the Senate must be present for the cloture vote, and two thirds of those voting must be in favor of the motion for it to pass.