Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and current and former Senate staff members talked about the history and use of the filibuster. Senator Alexander argued in favor of keeping the filibuster rules in their current form, citing the late Senator Robert Byrd's depicting the filibuster as a "fence" that protected against executive branch over-reach. Following his remarks, panelists talked about the use of the filibuster and similarly opposed proposals to eliminate the practice in the Senate. They also responded to audience members' questions.

This program took place one day before the opening of the 112th Congress. Democratic members of the Senate were proposing to alter the filibuster rule on the first day of the new Congress in response to Senate Republicans use of the filibuster in the 111th Congress.