Chubbing

Entry in progress—B.P.
 
Google Books
Hatchet Jobs and Hardball:
The Oxford dictionary of American political slang
By Grant Barrett
Published by Oxford University Press US
2004
Pg. 80:
chubbing n. Texas. a form of filibuster involving a variety of delaying tactics.
1987 Houston Chronicle (May 23) 20:
The singing and the “chubbing”—House parlance for time-killing delay—were accompanied by the formal threat of a tag-team Senate filibuster next week on the AT&T deregulation.
2001 Austin Chronicle (June 1):
Nuke opponents smelled a rat and quickly mounted a series of parliamentary challenges, concluding with several reps “chubbing” Wilson’s amendment into oblivion. Chubbing is a sort of discount, House-style filibuster.
2003 National Review (May 27):
The art of slow-talking bills (“chubbing”) was raised to include the introduction of dozens—some some cases, hundreds—of similar amendments which had no chance of passage.
     
Google Books
The Texas Citizen:
The guide to active citizenship in the Lone Star State
By William Henry Gardner
Published by Elsevier Press
1955
Pg. 24:
In the House, members may prevent a bill that is on the calendar from being taken up for floor consideration by a time-consuming stratagem known as chubbing.
   
26 April 1959, Dallas (TX) Morning News, “Politics 1959: Legislators Need Lexicon of Own” by Allen Duckworth (Political Editor of News), section 1, pg. 3:
“CHUBBING” is another word that new members learn. In the House, there is a time limit on speakers, so there can be no actual filibusters as in the Senate. But there is a way to delay, with numerous amendments, numerous speeches about the amendments called “chubbing.”
 
Google News Archive
7 May 1961, Victoria (TX) Advance, pg. 1, col. 2:
Another form of filibustering expected frequently the next three weeks is called “chubbing.” This involves endless talk on a minor bill to delay a major bill from reaching the floor.
     
6 May 1971, Dallas (TX) Morning News, “Kennard’s ‘Chubbing’ Delays UT-Dallas Bill” by Stewart Davis, section A, pg. 17:
Sen. Don Kennard of Fort Worth, outspoken against the UT-Dallas bill, contributed to the plodding pace of the Senate by “chubbing” another bill up for debate.
 
“Chubbing” consists of dilatory tactics on a bill totally unrelated to the one being opposed.
 
The tactics used by Kennard included a request for full reading of a bill on re-inspection of motor vehicles following collisions. Kennard also proposed an amendment, with long explanations, to that measure.
   
Google Books
Texas: its government and politics
By Wilbourn E. Benton
Edition: 3
Published by Prentice-Hall
1972
Pg. 110:
The house substitute for a filibuster is sometimes referred to as “chubbing.”
 
A Capitol Blog by Texas State Representative Aaron Pena
5.25.2009
The Art and Etymology of Chubbing
The capitol’s gone chubbing. Depending on your understanding of the term “chubbing” that could mean anything from fishing, engaging in a variety of legislative delays or sexual activities.
 
The best I can tell the word “chubbing” has it’s origins in the Scandinavian word for the chub fish. A chub is a small but fat fish that is said to be named from its large head, but it is rather its body which is thick and fat. This should not be separated from the adjective chubby (i. e. fat or fleshy).
 
In fishing nomenclature “going chubbing” means going fishing for the chub fish. The chub is primarily a river fish.
 
It is curious indeed that we have gone for a term for fishing for a particular kind of fish to the present describing a form of legislative filibustering - a delay tactic by excessive talking, questioning or filing unnecessary amendments.