Motion to table — the polite kill
A motion to table doesn't reject the underlying question — it sets it aside permanently. If the motion succeeds, the bill or amendment is dead, but no senator went on record voting against the merits. This is procedurally efficient but a frequent civic-literacy trap: a 'yea' vote on a motion to table is functionally a vote AGAINST whatever was tabled.
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Step 1 — Motion is offered
During consideration of a bill or amendment, any senator can move to table. The motion is non-debatable.
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Step 2 — Vote
Threshold: simple majority. A "yea" vote tables the underlying question. A "nay" vote keeps it alive for further debate.
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What this means for accountability
Voting "yea to table the [Whatever] amendment" is the procedural equivalent of voting against that amendment. Reporting that says "Senator X voted FOR tabling X" is technically correct but easy to misread.
Related civic-literacy warnings
When you see these chips on a vote-detail page, they point back to this explainer:
- table_kills_without_merits_vote