If an amendment has been offered to a bill, the Senate may invoke cloture either on the bill or on the amendment. Sometimes Senators prefer to invoke cloture on an amendment instead of a bill because after the Senate invokes cloture, it may consider only amendments that are germane.

Can the Senate invoke cloture?

The only formal procedure that Senate rules provide for breaking filibusters is to invoke cloture under the provisions of Rule XXII (commonly called the “cloture rule”).

What vote does it take to invoke cloture?

In 1975 the Senate reduced the number of votes required for cloture from two-thirds to three-fifths (60). The Senate set a precedent in 2013 by overturning a ruling of the chair, making it possible to invoke cloture on executive nominations (other than those to the U.S. Supreme Court) by a simple majority vote.