Cloture is a parliamentary procedure used in the United States Senate to end debate on a bill or other matter and proceed to a vote. It allows the Senate to overcome a filibuster, which is a prolonged debate or series of delaying tactics used to prevent a vote from occurring.
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Cloture requires a supermajority of 3/5ths of senators (typically 60 out of 100) to end debate and proceed to a final vote.
The cloture process takes several days and involves a series of votes, allowing senators to voice their opposition before the final vote occurs.
Cloture is an important tool for the Senate majority party to overcome filibusters and advance their legislative agenda.
The use of cloture has increased in recent decades as the Senate has become more polarized and filibusters have become more common.
Cloture is a key aspect of the Senate's institutional design, as it balances the need for robust debate with the ability to eventually reach a decision.
Review Questions
Explain how cloture relates to the institutional design of Congress and the legislative process.
Cloture is a crucial feature of the Senate's institutional design, as it allows the chamber to overcome filibusters and proceed to a final vote on legislation. This balances the Senate's role as a deliberative body that encourages robust debate with the need to ultimately reach decisions and advance the legislative process. The cloture rule is a key tool used by the Senate majority party to manage the legislative agenda and overcome obstructionist tactics by the minority party.
Describe the relationship between cloture and the House and Senate organizations.
Cloture is a Senate-specific procedure that is not used in the House of Representatives. The Senate Majority Leader plays a central role in initiating and managing the cloture process, scheduling the necessary votes and marshaling the required 3/5ths supermajority. The ability to invoke cloture is an important source of power for the Senate Majority Leader, as it allows them to control the legislative agenda and overcome potential filibusters by the minority party. The cloture rule is a key part of the Senate's unique organizational structure and procedures that differentiate it from the House.
Analyze how the cloture rule has impacted the overall legislative process in Congress.
The increased use of cloture in recent decades has fundamentally altered the legislative process in Congress. While cloture was originally intended as an occasional tool to overcome obstructionism, it has become a routine part of passing most major legislation in the Senate. This has contributed to a more polarized and adversarial legislative environment, as the minority party often resorts to filibusters to delay or block the majority's agenda. The need to secure 60 votes to invoke cloture has also made bipartisan compromise more difficult, as senators have greater incentive to dig in along party lines. Overall, the cloture rule has increased the power of the Senate Majority Leader but also made the legislative process more protracted and contentious.