To retake the majority in the U.S. Senate in the 2026 midterm elections, the Democratic Party needed a net gain of four Senate seats.
November 03, 2026
high
temporal
Numerical threshold for changing control of the U.S. Senate in the 2026 election cycle.
Under the legislative filibuster, most legislation in the U.S. Senate requires a 60-vote supermajority to overcome a filibuster and proceed to passage.
November 24, 2025
high
procedural
Cloture threshold used to end debate on legislation in the Senate.
The legislative filibuster enables a Senate minority to block or delay legislation, functioning as a de facto veto by the minority party.
November 24, 2025
high
institutional
Describes the practical effect of the filibuster on Senate lawmaking.
The provision would require that U.S. senators be notified if the U.S. Department of Justice requests their information, including via subpoenas of phone records.
November 20, 2025
high
policy
Specifies a notification requirement tied to DOJ requests for senators' information as written in the provision.
Appointments of U.S. federal prosecutors made without the customary U.S. Senate confirmation process have prompted legal challenges to the prosecutors' legitimacy and have sometimes clouded the cases those prosecutors brought.
November 13, 2025
high
procedural
Describes a general consequence of installing federal prosecutors outside the standard Senate confirmation process.
U.S. Senator Charles Schumer serves as the Senate Minority Leader, the top Democratic leader in the U.S. Senate.
November 12, 2025
high
temporal
Leadership position for the Senate Democrats
In the U.S. Senate, 60 affirmative votes are typically required to overcome a filibuster or advance most legislation (cloture threshold).
November 11, 2025
high
procedural
Senate cloture rule used to end debate or overcome a filibuster on most matters.
Under current U.S. Senate rules, invoking cloture to end debate and advance most legislation requires the support of three-fifths of senators, typically 60 out of 100 votes.
November 10, 2025
high
procedural
Senate rules for ending debate and proceeding to a final vote on most legislation.
For a bill to become law in the United States, both the House of Representatives and the Senate must pass the same legislation and the president must sign it (or a presidential veto must be overridden).
November 10, 2025
high
temporal
The bicameral approval and presidential signature are standard steps in the U.S. federal legislative process.
A single U.S. senator can use procedural tools to delay or slow the Senate's consideration of legislation.
November 10, 2025
high
temporal
Individual senators can employ holds, extended debate, or other procedural maneuvers that impede rapid passage of measures in the Senate.
Individual senators in the U.S. Senate can use procedural actions to delay or block legislative progress on bills.
November 10, 2025
high
procedural
General characteristic of Senate legislative procedure allowing single senators to impede floor action.
Chuck Schumer is the Senate Democratic leader and a Democratic U.S. Senator from New York (D-N.Y.).
November 10, 2025
high
organizational
Identifies a Senate leadership role and state representation.
By U.S. Senate rules, invoking cloture to end a filibuster allows up to 30 hours of post-cloture debate before the Senate proceeds to a final vote on the matter.
November 10, 2025
high
procedural
Senate cloture rules limit further debate time after a successful cloture invocation.
Cloture petitions in the U.S. Senate require an intervening day after being filed before a cloture vote can be held (i.e., a cloture motion must 'ripen' on the following day before a vote).
November 10, 2025
high
procedural
Senate procedural timing requires a waiting period between filing cloture and holding the cloture vote.
A substitute amendment in the U.S. Senate replaces the text of an existing bill with new text and is itself subject to the Senate's cloture process and vote thresholds.
November 10, 2025
high
procedural
Substitute amendments change a bill's text and must undergo the same cloture procedures as other measures.
Most motions to invoke cloture in the U.S. Senate require 60 affirmative votes to overcome a filibuster on legislation.
November 10, 2025
high
procedural
The Senate's supermajority threshold for cloture on most legislative matters is 60 votes.
In the U.S. Senate, unanimous agreement of all 100 senators to fast-track consideration can allow legislation to advance quickly without extended procedural delay.
November 10, 2025
high
procedural
Describes how unanimous Senate agreement can expedite consideration of legislation.
A proposed federal law must be passed by both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate and then be signed by the President to become law, unless Congress overrides a presidential veto.
November 10, 2025
high
temporal
The U.S. legislative process requires bicameral passage and executive approval or a veto override for a bill to become law.
The U.S. Senate's filibuster rules require support from 60 senators to advance most legislation.
November 09, 2025
high
institutional
Senate procedural rule that sets a 60-vote threshold to overcome a filibuster and proceed on most bills.
In the U.S. Senate, invoking cloture to overcome a filibuster typically requires 60 votes; after cloture is invoked, subsequent passage of legislation requires a simple majority.
November 09, 2025
high
procedural
Senate legislative procedure for overcoming a filibuster and passing bills.
The U.S. Senate's filibuster practice effectively requires 60 votes to advance most legislation, meaning a supermajority is typically needed to end debate and proceed to a final vote.
November 06, 2025
high
temporal
Senate cloture/filibuster rule and its effect on legislative workflow.
U.S. senators can introduce and force votes on War Powers Resolutions as a legislative mechanism to attempt to halt or constrain presidential military actions.
November 06, 2025
high
procedural
Describes a recurring congressional procedure available to senators to address use of military force by the executive branch.
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) studies and produces analyses of the financial impact of legislation introduced in both the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives.
November 06, 2025
high
general
Institutional role of the CBO in the U.S. legislative process.
Under current U.S. Senate practice, 60 votes are typically required to overcome a filibuster and advance most legislation in the Senate, including spending bills.
November 05, 2025
high
procedural
Filibuster/cloture threshold in the U.S. Senate.
In the U.S. Senate, the filibuster requires a 60-vote threshold to end debate and advance most legislation.
November 05, 2025
high
procedural
Senate procedural rule governing cloture and advancement of most bills
The 'nuclear option' is a U.S. Senate procedural tactic to change the chamber's rules by majority vote to eliminate or limit the filibuster so that legislation can pass with a simple majority.
November 05, 2025
high
procedural
Alternate Senate rule-changing mechanism used to circumvent the 60-vote filibuster threshold
The U.S. Senate's blue slip tradition allows a senator to block certain judicial and U.S. attorney (prosecutor) nominations for nominees associated with that senator's state.
November 05, 2025
high
procedural
Senate custom used in consideration of judicial and federal prosecutor nominations.
Eliminating the Senate filibuster lowers the vote threshold for passing legislation from a supermajority requirement to a simple majority, which generally makes it easier for the majority party to pass bills but increases the risk that those changes can be reversed if the minority party later gains control.
November 05, 2025
high
procedural
Relationship between the filibuster rule and legislative passage thresholds in the U.S. Senate.
The U.S. Senate commonly requires a 60-vote threshold to overcome a filibuster and advance most legislation.
November 05, 2025
high
procedural
Senate cloture/filibuster rules require a supermajority in many circumstances to proceed to a final legislative vote.
The U.S. Senate's filibuster rule requires 60 votes to overcome procedural objections and advance most legislation.
November 03, 2025
high
procedural
Cloture/filibuster requirement in the U.S. Senate
The U.S. Senate's filibuster/cloture rule requires 60 votes to overcome objections in the Senate.
November 03, 2025
high
institutional
Describes the Senate rule commonly referred to as the filibuster or cloture threshold.
The U.S. Senate requires a 60-vote threshold to end most filibusters and proceed to final consideration of legislation.
November 02, 2025
high
structural
The 60-vote threshold is the conventional cloture requirement used to overcome filibusters in the U.S. Senate.
A 2025 U.S. Senate investigation led by Sen. Jon Ossoff collected more than 500 reports of abuse and neglect between January and August 2025 and documented more than 80 credible cases of medical neglect in federal immigration detention centers.
October 31, 2025
high
temporal
Aggregate findings from a Senate investigation into conditions in U.S. federal immigration detention centers.
A 2025 U.S. Senate investigation documented types of medical neglect in federal immigration detention centers including denial of insulin or glucose monitoring, delays in medical attention for days that in some cases were life-threatening, withholding of asthma inhalers, and multi-week delays in filling prescriptions.
October 31, 2025
high
temporal
Specific categories of medical neglect reported to Senate investigators.
A 2025 U.S. Senate investigation documented widespread complaints about inadequate food and water in federal immigration detention centers, including reports of meals described as too small for adults, sometimes expired milk, foul-smelling water, and limited distributions of clean water that forced competition for bottles.
October 31, 2025
high
temporal
Reported nonmedical living-conditions problems identified by Senate investigators in detention facilities.
Under U.S. Senate rules, invoking cloture to end debate on most legislation requires 60 votes, while final passage of most bills requires a simple majority (typically 51 votes).
October 31, 2025
high
procedural
Describes vote thresholds and the cloture mechanism in the U.S. Senate.
A change to the U.S. Senate's rules can be adopted by a simple majority vote; using this majority procedure to eliminate or alter the filibuster is commonly referred to as the "nuclear option."
October 31, 2025
high
procedural
Explains how Senate rules can be changed and the common term for doing so to modify the filibuster.
Under longstanding U.S. Senate practice, most major legislation requires the support of 60 senators to overcome a filibuster and reach a final up-or-down vote.
October 31, 2025
high
procedural
Describes the vote threshold associated with the legislative filibuster in the U.S. Senate.
The 'nuclear option' is a Senate procedure in which the majority party changes chamber rules by a simple majority vote, typically used to eliminate or alter the filibuster.
October 31, 2025
high
procedural
Defines the parliamentary maneuver used to change Senate rules with a simple majority.
The U.S. Senate operates largely according to precedent, so formal changes to Senate rules tend to establish precedents that govern future chamber procedure.
October 31, 2025
high
institutional
Explains how precedent functions as a governing principle in Senate procedures.
The U.S. Senate includes procedural exceptions to the 60-vote threshold, including expedited confirmation procedures for certain nominations and the budget reconciliation process that can allow certain tax and spending measures to pass by simple majority.
October 31, 2025
high
procedural
Identifies existing mechanisms that bypass the standard 60-vote cloture requirement.
A 2025 U.S. Senate investigation collected more than 500 reports of abuse and neglect in federal immigration detention centers and documented more than 80 credible cases of medical neglect.
October 31, 2025
high
temporal
Aggregate findings from a 2025 U.S. Senate investigation into conditions in federal immigration detention centers.
A 2025 U.S. Senate investigation documented cases of medical neglect in federal immigration detention centers that included detainees being denied insulin or glucose monitoring, having asthma medications withheld, and experiencing delays of weeks to months in receiving prescriptions.
October 31, 2025
high
temporal
Types of medical neglect reported to a 2025 U.S. Senate investigation into detention center conditions.
A 2025 U.S. Senate investigation identified widespread complaints about food and water in federal immigration detention centers, including reports of meals too small for adults, expired milk, foul-smelling water, and limited availability of clean water.
October 31, 2025
high
temporal
Reported conditions regarding food and water in federal immigration detention centers documented in a 2025 U.S. Senate investigation.
The U.S. Senate has 100 members and, although most legislation formally requires a simple majority to pass, the Senate's filibuster rule allows debate to be extended indefinitely and requires a 60-vote supermajority (cloture) to end debate and advance most legislation.
October 30, 2025
high
structural
Description of U.S. Senate voting thresholds and the filibuster/cloture mechanism.
An amendment to the U.S. Constitution requires approval by a two-thirds vote of both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate and ratification by three-fourths of the U.S. states.
October 28, 2025
high
temporal
Outlines the formal congressional and state ratification requirements for constitutional amendments.
Under federal law, if a permanent U.S. Attorney is not nominated by the president and confirmed by the U.S. Senate within 120 days, the judges of the federal district court may appoint an interim U.S. Attorney until the vacancy is filled.
October 28, 2025
high
temporal
Describes the vacancy-filling procedure applicable to U.S. Attorney positions when a presidential nomination and Senate confirmation do not occur within a statutory 120-day period.
The U.S. Senate filibuster requires a 60-vote threshold to invoke cloture and end debate on most matters in order to advance legislation to a final vote.
October 28, 2025
high
procedural
Describes the cloture rule commonly referred to as the filibuster in the U.S. Senate.
The filibuster's 60-vote threshold functions as a procedural hurdle that enables a Senate minority to block or delay legislation, serving as a check on the majority party's power.
October 28, 2025
high
institutional
Explains the political effect of the cloture threshold in Senate decision-making.
The term 'nuclear option' refers to the parliamentary maneuver of changing Senate rules to eliminate the filibuster's 60-vote cloture requirement.
October 28, 2025
high
definition
Defines a commonly used phrase for ending the filibuster by rule change.
A 60-vote threshold in the U.S. Senate is generally required to invoke cloture and advance most legislation past a filibuster.
October 26, 2025
high
procedural
Describes the Senate procedural requirement to end debate and move to a final vote on most matters.
The U.S. Senate generally requires 60 votes in a procedural (cloture) vote to advance most legislation or end debate, effectively setting a supermajority threshold to overcome filibusters.
October 23, 2025
high
procedural
Explains the Senate's vote threshold used to cut off debate and move legislative measures forward.
A filibuster in the U.S. Senate can be ended by obtaining 60 votes to invoke cloture.
October 23, 2025
high
procedural
U.S. Senate legislative procedure for overcoming a filibuster
The U.S. Senate typically requires 60 votes to overcome a filibuster and advance most legislation.
October 23, 2025
high
procedural
Rule governing Senate cloture for most legislation.
In the U.S. Senate, 60 votes are generally required to overcome a filibuster and advance most legislation to a final passage vote.
October 23, 2025
high
procedural
Legislative cloture threshold in the Senate
Invoking cloture in the U.S. Senate to end debate and overcome a filibuster typically requires 60 votes.
October 21, 2025
high
procedural
Describes the vote threshold commonly used to break a filibuster in the Senate.
U.S. senators can introduce bipartisan resolutions intended to limit the president's ability to use military force without congressional approval.
October 17, 2025
high
temporal
Legislative tool used by members of both parties to constrain executive war powers.
Certain U.S. Senate procedural measures can require the Senate to take up introduced legislation after a 10-day waiting period.
October 17, 2025
medium
temporal
Describes a Senate procedural mechanism for compelling consideration of introduced legislation.
The U.S. Senate 'blue slip' tradition is a senatorial practice that can be used to block or delay consideration of judicial nominations and other executive-branch nominees such as U.S. attorneys.
October 17, 2025
high
institutional
Longstanding Senate practice related to the confirmation process for nominees.
In the U.S. Senate, a 60-vote cloture threshold effectively requires bipartisan support for many significant pieces of legislation, including spending bills.
October 16, 2025
high
procedural
The Senate filibuster/cloture rule makes it difficult for one party to pass major bills without some votes from the other party.
Hakeem Jeffries was serving as the U.S. House Minority Leader and is a member of the Democratic Party representing New York.
October 16, 2025
high
temporal
Congressional leadership and party affiliation
Margaret Chase Smith, William Cohen, and Olympia Snowe each served as Republican U.S. senators from Maine, and George J. Mitchell served as a Democratic U.S. senator from Maine.
October 14, 2025
high
temporal
Historic party affiliations of notable former U.S. senators from Maine.
In the U.S. Senate, most motions to end debate (cloture) require the support of 60 senators to advance legislation.
October 09, 2025
high
procedural
Senate filibuster/cloture threshold for advancing most legislation and procedural motions.
The U.S. Senate's filibuster generally requires 60 votes to invoke cloture and end debate on most legislation and nominations.
October 09, 2025
high
temporal
Cloture is the procedure used to end debate in the Senate; the 60-vote threshold is the conventional supermajority requirement for most matters.
A continuing resolution (CR) is a short-term federal funding measure used to extend government funding, and because of the Senate filibuster, spending bills such as CRs typically require bipartisan support to pass the Senate.
October 09, 2025
high
temporal
Continuing resolutions are stopgap appropriations measures used when regular appropriations bills are not enacted on time.
The 'nuclear option' is a parliamentary maneuver in the U.S. Senate that allows the majority to change Senate rules or precedents by majority vote, enabling modifications to filibuster or cloture thresholds without the conventional supermajority.
October 09, 2025
high
temporal
The nuclear option has been used in recent decades to alter confirmation rules for certain nominations.
Adam Schiff is a United States Senator from California and a member of the Democratic Party.
October 09, 2025
high
temporal
Elected federal legislator
The U.S. Senate generally requires 60 votes to invoke cloture and advance most legislation or procedural measures, so a party with fewer than 60 seats must gain support from members of other parties to overcome filibusters.
October 08, 2025
high
temporal
Senate procedural rules governing cloture and legislative advancement.
In the U.S. Senate, packaging multiple appropriations bills for consideration often requires unanimous consent.
October 08, 2025
high
procedural
Senate floor procedure for handling bundled appropriations legislation.
A congressional conference committee is the formal mechanism by which the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate reconcile differences between their versions of a bill.
October 08, 2025
high
procedural
Standard legislative process for resolving House-Senate disagreements on legislation.
An individual appropriations bill that has already been passed by the U.S. House of Representatives can be brought to the U.S. Senate floor for consideration.
October 08, 2025
high
procedural
Procedure for Senate consideration of House-passed appropriations measures.
A Senate majority leader can bring full-year appropriations bills to the Senate floor for a vote.
October 08, 2025
high
procedural
Procedural authority of Senate leadership over which measures are scheduled for floor consideration.
Senators may use votes on procedural motions to proceed as a tactic to advance, delay, or block consideration of specific bills.
October 08, 2025
high
procedural
Procedural votes on motions to proceed determine whether a bill moves forward to debate and consideration on the Senate floor.
The Senate Judiciary Committee is a standing committee of the U.S. Senate that conducts hearings at which officials may provide testimony.
October 07, 2025
high
institutional
Describes the committee's oversight role in the legislative branch and its use of hearings to take testimony from executive-branch officials and others.
The U.S. Senate requires 60 votes to invoke cloture and thereby advance most legislation.
October 07, 2025
high
procedural
Senate filibuster/cloture threshold for advancing legislation.
Chuck Schumer was serving as Senate Minority Leader in the United States Senate as of 2025-10-05.
October 05, 2025
high
temporal
Leader of the Senate's minority party, responsible for coordinating minority party strategy.
It is a common practice in the U.S. Senate for one senator to vote in alignment with their state delegation mate on politically difficult or high-profile measures.
October 01, 2025
high
temporal
Senators from the same state sometimes vote together on contentious issues for political or strategic reasons.
U.S. senators representing states with significant cattle industries often oppose import decisions perceived to harm domestic cattle producers and related agricultural interests such as soybean farmers.
September 30, 2025
high
temporal
Domestic agricultural economic interests frequently shape senators' positions on trade and import policy.
Invoking the 'nuclear option' in the U.S. Senate is a procedure that uses a simple majority to change chamber rules to allow unlimited groups of nominees to be voted on at once.
September 11, 2025
high
procedural
Defines a Senate procedure for altering confirmation rules to permit bulk votes on nominees.
The U.S. Senate conducts confirmations for nominees to both the executive branch and the judicial branch.
September 11, 2025
high
structural
Describes the institutional scope of Senate confirmation responsibilities.
A U.S. Senate bill introduced by Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) would require prospective commercial truck drivers to demonstrate basic English proficiency before receiving a commercial driver’s license (CDL), including the ability to converse with the public, understand highway traffic signs and signals in English, respond to official inquiries, and make entries on reports and records.
August 26, 2025
high
policy
Proposed federal legislative standards for English proficiency as a condition for obtaining a CDL.
The U.S. Senate is responsible for confirming permanent U.S. Attorneys.
July 29, 2025
high
procedural
Senate confirmation is the standard process for making U.S. Attorney appointments permanent.
Mark Warner and Tim Kaine were the two Democratic U.S. senators representing the state of Virginia in 2025.
January 01, 2025
high
temporal
U.S. Senate representation for Virginia.
As of November 6, 2024, North Carolina's statewide executive offices included a Democratic governor, a Democratic lieutenant governor, and a Democratic attorney general, while both of the state's U.S. senators were Republicans.
November 06, 2024
high
temporal
Partisan control of major statewide offices in North Carolina.
The law requires service providers to notify Senate offices and the Senate sergeant at arms when federal law enforcement requests data from lawmakers' offices, while providing exceptions when the senator is a target of a criminal investigation or when notification is legally blocked.
January 01, 2022
high
policy
Notification and exception framework for data requests involving members of the U.S. Senate.
Eric Swalwell served as one of the impeachment managers in President Donald Trump's second impeachment trial in 2021.
February 13, 2021
high
temporal
Role in congressional impeachment proceedings
Most members of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate have an annual base salary of $174,000, a figure that was last changed in 2009.
January 01, 2009
high
temporal
Baseline congressional compensation for rank-and-file members
Mark Warner succeeded Republican Senator John Warner in the U.S. Senate in 2009.
2009
high
temporal
Historical succession of a U.S. Senate seat from Virginia.
The Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998 regulates the temporary filling of executive-branch vacancies that require presidential appointment and Senate confirmation.
October 21, 1998
high
temporal
Describes the statutory framework governing temporary appointments to executive branch positions that require presidential appointment and Senate confirmation.
Susan Collins has served as a U.S. Senator from Maine since 1997.
January 03, 1997
high
temporal
Tenure of Maine's U.S. senator
Dick Durbin has served as a member of the U.S. Senate since early 1997.
January 01, 1997
high
temporal
Tenure start year for Dick Durbin's service in the U.S. Senate.
The Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, adopted in 1996, bans all nuclear explosions anywhere in the world and was signed by U.S. President Bill Clinton but never ratified by the U.S. Senate.
January 01, 1996
high
temporal
Legal framework governing nuclear explosive testing.
The United Nations adopted a nuclear test ban treaty in 1996; the United States signed the treaty but the U.S. Senate did not ratify it, and most other nuclear-armed states also did not ratify, though the treaty helped establish a global norm against nuclear weapons testing.
January 01, 1996
high
legal
Legal and normative framework surrounding nuclear testing.
The last time Kentucky elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate was in 1992 when Wendell Ford won re-election.
January 01, 1992
high
temporal
Historical partisan outcome for Kentucky's U.S. Senate elections.
Mitch McConnell has held the U.S. Senate seat from Kentucky since 1985.
January 01, 1985
high
temporal
Tenure of the U.S. Senator representing Kentucky.
Michael Donilon first worked for Joe Biden in 1981 when Biden was a U.S. senator from Delaware.
January 01, 1981
high
temporal
Career history indicating the year Donilon began working with Biden.
Senator Strom Thurmond of South Carolina conducted a lengthy filibuster in 1957 against the advancement of the Civil Rights Act.
January 01, 1957
high
historical
Historical example of a Senate filibuster used to block civil rights legislation.
The Senate filibuster was introduced in 1806.
January 01, 1806
medium
temporal
Historical origin date commonly cited for the filibuster rule in the U.S. Senate.
The Senate Intelligence Committee is a committee of the U.S. Senate that has leadership roles including a vice chairman and can hold closed-door briefings.
high
general
Structure and procedural practices of a standing Senate committee.
The U.S. Senate can adopt a majority-vote rule change (commonly called the "nuclear option") to permit confirmation of nominees by a simple majority rather than a supermajority.
high
procedural
Describes a Senate procedural mechanism for changing confirmation vote thresholds.
Subcabinet-level nominees that have bipartisan support in committee are commonly expedited in the U.S. Senate through unanimous consent or by a voice vote.
high
procedural
Describes typical fast-track Senate practices for noncontroversial nominees.
A Senate rule change can be structured to allow an unlimited number of nominees to be considered and confirmed in a single batch, while still requiring specified procedural steps before final confirmation votes.
high
procedural
Describes how aggregate confirmation batches can be enabled by procedural rule changes.
The term "nuclear option" refers to a Senate procedure of unilaterally changing the Senate's rules, commonly used to alter confirmation processes for nominations.
high
descriptive
Parliamentary tactic in the U.S. Senate to change rules without unanimous consent.
Florida circuit judges are selected by popular election, whereas federal judges are nominated by the President and confirmed by the U.S. Senate.
high
institutional
Contrast in selection methods between state-level (Florida) and federal judges in the U.S.
Most legislation in the U.S. Senate requires 60 votes to overcome a filibuster and advance to final consideration.
high
procedural
Describes the Senate cloture threshold used to end debate on most measures.
A U.S. Senate sanctions bill proposes imposing fresh economic sanctions intended to increase pressure on Russia to end its war in Ukraine.
high
policy
Describes the stated objective of the legislative measure.
The bill includes a provision imposing a 500% tariff on imported goods from countries that purchase Russian oil, gas, or uranium.
high
policy
Describes a specific economic measure contained in the legislation.
Presidential nominees to lead independent federal agencies typically require confirmation by the U.S. Senate.
high
procedural
Explains the general confirmation process for nominees to executive branch independent agencies.
A filibuster in the U.S. Senate is a floor tactic intended to halt or delay the advance of a specific piece of legislation.
high
definition
General definition of the legislative tactic known as a filibuster.
U.S. senators commonly use extended floor speeches as a tactical tool to draw public and legislative attention to issues and to press for policy responses.
high
process
Extended speeches on the Senate floor are a procedural tactic used to highlight issues and influence attention or action.
In the U.S. Senate, most legislation effectively requires 60 votes to invoke cloture and overcome a filibuster so a measure can advance and pass.
high
procedural
Senate filibuster and cloture threshold for advancing legislation
Some U.S. senators hold independent status but caucus with a major party; for example, Angus King is an independent U.S. senator from Maine who caucuses with the Senate Democrats.
high
institutional
Senate party organization and caucusing behavior
Sixty votes are required in the U.S. Senate to overcome a filibuster and proceed to debate and a final vote on most pieces of legislation.
high
procedural
Describes the cloture threshold used in U.S. Senate procedure for most legislation.
The term "nuclear option" refers to a parliamentary move in the U.S. Senate to change Senate rules to eliminate the filibuster and allow legislation to pass by a simple majority vote.
high
definition
Explains a procedural tactic available within Senate rules to alter the cloture requirement.
The U.S. Senate's filibuster creates an effective 60-vote threshold to advance most legislation, which makes the passage of appropriations bills in the Senate typically a bipartisan process.
high
institutional
Procedural rules and voting dynamics in the U.S. Senate
The U.S. Senate filibuster creates an effective 60-vote threshold to end debate on most legislation, and the 'nuclear option' is a parliamentary move that can change Senate rules to allow certain measures to pass by a simple majority.
high
procedural
Describes how Senate voting rules affect the legislative process and how the 'nuclear option' alters that threshold.
In the U.S. Senate, most significant legislation effectively requires the support of 60 senators to overcome a filibuster and proceed to final passage.
high
procedural
Describes the Senate's cloture threshold used to end debate on legislation.
The legislative filibuster in the U.S. Senate is a procedural tactic that allows a single senator to block final action on major legislation unless a 60-vote threshold is reached to advance the measure.
high
procedural
Describes how the Senate filibuster operates as a threshold for advancing major legislation.
Eliminating the Senate legislative filibuster would reduce the vote threshold for final action on major legislation from a 60-vote supermajority requirement to a simple majority, enabling the majority party to pass legislation without a 60-vote clamp.
high
procedural
Explains the institutional consequence of removing the filibuster in the Senate.
Confirmations of U.S. attorneys are subject to the U.S. Senate confirmation process, which gives senators institutional leverage over those appointments.
high
procedural
Describes the Senate's role in confirming U.S. attorneys and the resulting leverage for individual senators.
In the U.S. Senate, unanimous consent is a fast-track parliamentary process that can allow a measure to proceed without a full roll-call vote if no senator objects.
high
procedural
Senate floor procedure for expediting consideration of measures.
Unanimous consent is a procedural mechanism in the U.S. Senate that allows measures to be considered and pass without a formal roll-call vote if no senator objects.
high
procedural
Describes a Senate fast-track process that bypasses a full recorded vote when no senator objects.
Independent U.S. senators can caucus with a political party; for example, Angus King of Maine caucuses with Senate Democrats.
high
structural
Describes how some independent senators align with party caucuses in the Senate.
U.S. attorneys are typically nominated by the President of the United States and confirmed by the U.S. Senate.
high
procedural
Describes the standard federal appointment and confirmation process for U.S. attorneys.
The U.S. Senate uses a 'hotline process' in which proposed legislation is circulated among lawmakers for consideration before it is placed on the floor for a vote.
high
temporal
Description of a procedural mechanism used by senators to vet and clear legislation prior to floor consideration.
A legislative provision would permit only U.S. senators who were directly targeted by Department of Justice requests for their information to sue the U.S. government for monetary damages up to $500,000.
high
policy
Provision defines standing and a capped damage remedy for affected senators.
Under U.S. Senate unanimous consent rules, any single senator can block the passage of a measure by objecting to a unanimous consent request.
high
procedural
Describes a standing Senate procedure by which unanimous consent is required for certain expedited actions and a single objection prevents approval.
The provision titled 'Requiring Senate Notification for Senate Data' authorizes a senator to bring a lawsuit against the federal government seeking monetary damages of $500,000.
high
legal
Describes the core legal entitlement created by the named provision.
The stated purpose of the 'Requiring Senate Notification for Senate Data' provision is to deter the Department of Justice from subpoenaing senators' records without first notifying those senators.
high
policy
Explains the provision's intended function regarding DOJ subpoenas and Senate notification.