President Jed Bartlet's (Martin Sheen) staff waits impatiently for elderly but stubborn Senator Howard Stackhouse (George Coe) to yield the floor as he stages a marathon filibuster hoping to stave off a vote on Bartlet's Family Wellness Act bill. Meanwhile, Toby (Richard Schiff) is leery of the Vice President's (Tim Matheson) sudden interest in supporting another bill tightening fuel-emission standards. Donna (Janel Moloney) discovers that Stackhouse is holding out for more money for autism research, and that his grandson is autistic. Knowing the truth, the staff decide to help out the Senator and make his act worthwhile.
Elsewhere: C.J. (Allison Janney) anxiously paws through her memory as she seeks to locate a missing ceramic cat statue given to the President by a Mideastern potentate who expects to see it displayed during his upcoming visit; Josh (Bradley Whitford) strains to finish business in time to catch a flight for a weekend visit to the spring-training camp of the New York Mets in Florida.
Cast
Starring
- Rob Lowe as Sam Seaborn
- Dulé Hill as Charlie Young
- Allison Janney as C.J. Cregg
- Janel Moloney as Donna Moss
- Richard Schiff as Toby Ziegler
- John Spencer as Leo McGarry
- Bradley Whitford as Josh Lyman
- and Martin Sheen as Jed Bartlet
Special Guest Star
Guest Starring
- George Coe as Senator Howard Stackhouse
- Cara DeLizia as Winifred Hooper
Co-Starring
- Melissa Fitzgerald as Carol Fitzpatrick
- Timothy Davis-Reed as Mark O'Donnell
- William Duffy as Larry
- Peter James Smith as Ed
- Randolph Brooks as Arthur Leeds
- Jana Lee Hamblin as Reporter Bobbi
- Robyn Pedretti as V.P.'s Aide Candy
- Darren Foreman as V.P.'s Aide #2
- Andy Milder as V.P. Assistant
- Larry Stahoviak as "Steve"
- Lisa Croisette as "Patty"
- David Katz as Staffer #3
- Jessica Pennington as Sally
- Shishir Kurup as Zach
- Charles Noland as Reporter Steve
- Mindy Seeger as Reporter Chris
- Harrison Young as Senator Tom Grissom
- Ron Harper as Chairman
- Dilva Henry as News Anchor
- Pete Leal as Stewart