On the Motion to Proceed
U.S. Senate, Standing Rules of the Senate
A vote on whether the Senate takes up a bill at all. A simple majority adopts it — but because it can usually be debated without limit, a cloture vote often comes first.
- A Yea meant:
- Take up the measure.
- A Nay meant:
- Do not take it up.
The Congressional Research Service: the motion to proceed “can be adopted by a simple majority, but it is debatable in most circumstances and therefore is subject to filibuster” (CRS R42996). Ending that debate takes cloture, with three-fifths of the Senate (Senate Rule XXII).
Sources
- CRS R42996, Changes to Senate Procedures at the Start of the 113th Congress Affecting the Operation of Cloture (Mar. 19, 2013)
- Standing Rules of the Senate, Rule XXII
Checked against these sources on 2026-10-12.