Civics & Government

Cloture

A procedure in a legislative body, like the U.S. Senate, to end debate on a bill and bring it to a vote, often used to stop a filibuster.

Examples of Cloture

  • After days of debate, the Senate voted for cloture to finally bring the new law to a vote.
  • It takes a supermajority of votes to invoke cloture and stop a filibuster.
  • Without cloture, a small group of senators could prevent any bill from passing.