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1 (January 24, 2001)

handle is hein.crs/crsuntaajyu0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Order Code 98-424 GOV Updated January 24, 2001 CRS Report for Congress Received through the CRS Web Cloture: Its Effects on Senate Floor Proceedings Stanley Bach Senior Specialist in the Legislative Process Government and Finance Division By invoking cloture, the Senate votes to impose a limit on how much longer the Senate will consider a question that is pending before it. That question may be a bill, resolution, amendment, motion, conference report, nomination, or other matter of legislative or executive business. Once cloture is invoked on a question, that question is to remain the business of the Senate until the Senate disposes of it. In the meantime, the Senate can consider other business only by unanimous consent. While considering a question under cloture, the Senate follows procedures that differ from its normal floor procedures in several important ways. Most of the changes in procedure that are triggered by a vote to invoke cloture are specified in paragraph 2 of Senate Rule XXII. Several other important effects of cloture on the Senate's floor proceedings are matters of precedent, and are discussed in Riddick's Senate Procedure, pp. 282-334, on Cloture Procedure. Thirty Hour Cap on Further Consideration. The most important effect of invoking cloture is to impose a cap of 30 hours of additional time for the Senate to continue considering the question on which it invoked cloture. This is a 30-hour cap on consideration, not merely on debate. The time consumed by other proceedings, such as points of order, quorum calls and rollcall votes, counts against this 30-hour cap, as does all time consumed by debate. However, any time that the Senate spends on other business or in recess or adjournment does not count against the 30 hours. If and when all time under the 30-hour cap has expired, the Senate votes on the question on which it invoked cloture, without acting on any amendments that are not actually pending and any motions except motions to table and reconsider. A Senator also may demand a live quorum call before the Senate begins to vote on the question on which cloture was invoked. Extending the Cap. Once each calendar day, the Senate can consider a nondebatable motion to extend the cap beyond 30 hours. Such a motion requires the support of the same majority that is needed to invoke cloture (except on a Senate rules change): three-fifths of the Senators duly chosen and sworn. Also, Rule XXII guarantees each Senator at least 10 minutes to speak if the 30-hour period has expired and a Senator has not used or yielded at least 10 minutes of his or her time for debate. In principle, therefore, the period for post-cloture consideration can extend somewhat beyond 30 Congressional Research Service The Library of Congress

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