HJRES 4119th CongressIn Committee

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to provide that debate upon legislation pending before the Senate may not be brought to a close without the concurrence of a minimum of three-fifths of the Senators.

Introduced: Jan 3, 2025

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

This bill is a proposed constitutional amendment that would require the Senate to end debate on legislation (i.e., invoke cloture) only with the concurrence of at least three-fifths of the Senators (60 out of 100), with two exceptions: 1) unanimous consent to end debate, or 2) rules or laws that are in effect on January 3, 2025. The measure explicitly excludes presidential nominations from this requirement. If enacted, the amendment would codify the 60-vote threshold for closing debate on most measures into the Constitution, making it harder to change the rule through regular Senate procedures alone. It would become part of the Constitution only if ratified by three-fourths of the states (38 states).

Key Points

1Proposes a constitutional amendment to require a minimum three-fifths (60) vote of all Senators to bring debate on Senate measures to a close, effectively codifying a cloture threshold.
2Exceptions: debate may be closed by unanimous consent or as provided by laws in effect on January 3, 2025.
3Excludes presidential nominations from the requirement, meaning the cloture rule would not apply to closing debate on nominations in the same way.
4Subject to the normal constitutional amendment process: passage by two-thirds of both the House and the Senate to propose, and ratification by three-fourths of the states (38) to become part of the Constitution.
5Purpose: to mandate broad bipartisan support to end Senate debate on most legislation, potentially reducing the ability to end debate with a simple majority.

Impact Areas

Primary group/area affected- Members of the U.S. Senate and their staff, and political dynamics around passing legislation; it heightens the importance of bipartisan support to advance bills through the Senate.Secondary group/area affected- The President and executive branch nominees (due to the exemption for presidential nominations), potentially altering the pace and prospects for confirmations.Additional impacts- Could lessen the frequency of rapid or partisan “speed” legislation and increase legislative gridlock, especially during divided government.- Replaces or codifies a core Senate rule into the Constitution, making any change more difficult without another constitutional amendment survey and ratification.

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