Cloture
Definition
Cloture is the Senate procedure under Rule XXII for ending debate on a bill or nomination so a final vote can happen. Most matters need 60 votes to invoke cloture, even though passage itself usually only requires a simple majority.
Why it matters
The 60-vote cloture threshold, not the Constitution, is why most Senate legislation effectively needs supermajority support. A minority of 41 senators can block a bill from ever reaching a final vote, which turns cloture votes into the real battleground of Senate politics since failing cloture kills a bill without anyone voting on its substance.
Seen in the wild
The Senate's 1975 rules change lowered the cloture threshold from two-thirds of senators voting to three-fifths of the full Senate, or 60 of 100. That remains the standard for most legislation and nominations as of 2026, apart from carve-outs like reconciliation and certain nominations.1