Reduces the affirmative vote (three-fifths, or 60 out of 100) required to invoke cloture on such measure, motion, or other matter, or unfinished business (other than a measure or motion to amend the Senate rules) by three votes on the second such motion and by three additional votes on each succeeding motion, until the affirmative vote is reduced to a number equal to or less than an affirmative vote of a majority of the Senators duly chosen and sworn. Makes the required vote then an affirmative vote of a majority of the Senators duly chosen and sworn. Provides that the requirement of an affirmative vote of a majority of the Senators duly chosen and sworn shall not be further reduced upon any vote taken on any later cloture motion with respect to that measure, motion, matter, or unfinished business.
[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 85 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
108th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. RES. 85
To amend paragraph 2 of rule XXII of the Standing Rules of the Senate.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 13, 2003
Mr. Miller submitted the following resolution; which was referred to
the Committee on Rules and Administration
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
To amend paragraph 2 of rule XXII of the Standing Rules of the Senate.
Resolved, That paragraph 2 of rule XXII of the Standing Rules of
the Senate is amended to read as follows:
``2. (a)(1) Notwithstanding the provisions of rule II or rule IV or
any other rule of the Senate, at any time a motion signed by 16
Senators, to bring to a close the debate upon any measure, motion,
other matter pending before the Senate, or the unfinished business, is
presented to the Senate, the Presiding Officer, or clerk at the
direction of the Presiding Officer, shall at once state the motion to
the Senate, and 1 hour after the Senate meets on the following calendar
day but 1, he shall lay the motion before the Senate and direct that
the clerk call the roll, and upon the ascertainment that a quorum is
present, the Presiding Officer shall, without debate, submit to the
Senate by a yea-and-nay vote the question: ``Is it the sense of the
Senate that the debate shall be brought to a close?''.
``(2) If the question in clause (1) is agreed to by three-fifths of
the Senators duly chosen and sworn--except on a measure or motion to
amend the Senate rules, in which case the necessary affirmative vote
shall be two-thirds of the Senators present and voting--then that
measure, motion, or other matter pending before the Senate, or the
unfinished business, shall be the unfinished business to the exclusion
of all other business until disposed of.
``(3) After cloture is invoked, no Senator shall be entitled to
speak in all more than 1 hour on the measure, motion, or other matter
pending before the Senate, or the unfinished business, the amendments
thereto, and motions affecting the same, and it shall be the duty of
the Presiding Officer to keep the time of each Senator who speaks.
Except by unanimous consent, no amendment shall be proposed after the
vote to bring the debate to a close, unless it had been submitted in
writing to the Journal Clerk by 1 o'clock p.m. on the day following the
filing of the cloture motion if an amendment in the first degree, and
unless it had been so submitted at least 1 hour prior to the beginning
of the cloture vote if an amendment in the second degree. No dilatory
motion, or dilatory amendment, or amendment not germane shall be in
order. Points of order, including questions of relevancy, and appeals
from the decision of the Presiding Officer, shall be decided without
debate.
``(4) After no more than 30 hours of consideration of the measure,
motion, or other matter on which cloture has been invoked, the Senate
shall proceed, without any further debate on any question, to vote on
the final disposition thereof to the exclusion of all amendments not
then actually pending before the Senate at that time and to the
exclusion of all motions, except a motion to table, or to reconsider
and one quorum call on demand to establish the presence of a quorum
(and motions required to establish a quorum) immediately before the
final vote begins. The 30 hours may be increased by the adoption of a
motion, decided without debate, by a three-fifths affirmative vote of
the Senators duly chosen and sworn, and any such time thus agreed upon
shall be equally divided between and controlled by the Majority and
Minority Leaders or their designees. However, only one motion to extend
time, specified above, may be made in any 1 calendar day.
``(5) If, for any reason, a measure or matter is reprinted after
cloture has been invoked, amendments which were in order prior to the
reprinting of the measure or matter will continue to be in order and
may be conformed and reprinted at the request of the amendment's
sponsor. The conforming changes must be limited to lineation and
pagination.
``(6) No Senator shall call up more than 2 amendments until every
other Senator shall have had the opportunity to do likewise.
``(7) Notwithstanding other provisions of this rule, a Senator may
yield all or part of his 1 hour to the majority or minority floor
managers of the measure, motion, or matter or to the Majority or
Minority Leader, but each Senator specified shall not have more than 2
hours so yielded to him and may in turn yield such time to other
Senators.
``(8) Notwithstanding any other provision of this rule, any Senator
who has not used or yielded at least 10 minutes, is, if he seeks
recognition, guaranteed up to 10 minutes, inclusive, to speak only.
``(9) After cloture is invoked, the reading of any amendment,
including House amendments, shall be dispensed with when the proposed
amendment has been identified and has been available in printed form at
the desk of the Members for not less than 24 hours.
``(b)(1) If, upon a vote taken on a motion presented pursuant to
subparagraph (a), the Senate fails to invoke cloture with respect to a
measure, motion, or other matter pending before the Senate, or the
unfinished business, subsequent motions to bring debate to a close may
be made with respect to the same measure, motion, matter, or unfinished
business. It shall not be in order to file subsequent cloture motions
on any measure, motion, or other matter pending before the Senate,
except by unanimous consent, until the previous motion has been
disposed of.
``(2) Such subsequent motions shall be made in the manner provided
by, and subject to the provisions of, subparagraph (a), except that the
affirmative vote required to bring to a close debate upon that measure,
motion, or other matter, or unfinished business (other than a measure
or motion to amend Senate rules) shall be reduced by 3 votes on the
second such motion, and by 3 additional votes on each succeeding
motion, until the affirmative vote is reduced to a number equal to or
less than an affirmative vote of a majority of the Senators duly chosen
and sworn. The required vote shall then be an affirmative vote of a
majority of the Senators duly chosen and sworn. The requirement of an
affirmative vote of a majority of the Senators duly chosen and sworn
shall not be further reduced upon any vote taken on any later motion
made pursuant to this subparagraph with respect to that measure,
motion, matter, or unfinished business.''.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration. (text of measure as introduced: CR S3749-3750)
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