Cloture on the nomination of Keith Sonderling (PN 1129)
- Cloture ≠ passage.Voting yes on cloture means agreeing to end debate, not voting in favor of the bill itself. Many senators vote yes on cloture and no on the bill that follows. Read the explainer →
- Cloture, not confirmation.Cloture on a nomination ends debate and triggers the confirmation vote that follows. A yes on cloture is not a yes on the nominee — they're separate votes, often with different margins. Read the explainer →
The Senate agreed to end debate on Keith Sonderling’s nomination to be Secretary of Labor, 53–47. This was a vote to move toward a separate confirmation vote, not a vote to confirm him.
MORE DETAIL →
The Senate voted on whether to end debate on Keith Sonderling’s nomination to be Secretary of Labor, replacing Lori Chavez-DeRemer, who resigned. This procedure is called cloture. The motion passed 53–47. That ended debate and moved the nomination toward a separate vote on whether to confirm Sonderling.
- CATEGORY
- cloture
- NEEDED
- Simple Majority
- COALITION
- Party-line
The Senate can proceed to a separate confirmation vote on Sonderling’s nomination.
Why it matters. The vote ended debate and advanced a nomination for leadership of the Department of Labor, but it did not decide whether Sonderling would be confirmed.
Who’s affected. Department of Labor: The nomination concerns who would serve as the department’s Secretary. · Workers and employers: They may be affected by who leads the department, but this vote itself did not confirm the nominee or change policy.
Democrats. All 45 Democrats voted no, matching their party’s majority position.
Republicans. All 53 Republicans voted yes, matching their party’s majority position.
- Cloture
- Senate procedure that ends debate on a measure. Requires 60 votes to invoke on most legislation, simple majority on nominations after the 2013/2017 nuclear options. Voting yes on cloture is not the same as voting yes on the underlying bill — many senators do one but not the other.
- Motion to proceed
- Senate motion to begin formal floor consideration of a bill. Itself filibusterable, so often the first hurdle a bill faces — and often where bills die without ever being debated on their merits.
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Cloture on the nomination of Keith Sonderling (PN 1129)
Sep 30, 2026
- Cloture ≠ passage.Voting yes on cloture means agreeing to end debate, not voting in favor of the bill itself. Many senators vote yes on cloture and no on the bill that follows. Read the explainer →
- Cloture, not confirmation.Cloture on a nomination ends debate and triggers the confirmation vote that follows. A yes on cloture is not a yes on the nominee — they're separate votes, often with different margins. Read the explainer →
WHAT HAPPENED
The Senate agreed to end debate on Keith Sonderling’s nomination to be Secretary of Labor, 53–47.
This was a vote to move toward a separate confirmation vote, not a vote to confirm him.
HOW THIS VOTE WORKS
Cloture is a vote to limit or end debate so the Senate can move toward a decision. For this nomination, 51 of the 100 senators voting yes or no were needed; 53 voted yes.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT
The Senate can proceed to a separate confirmation vote on Sonderling’s nomination.
WHY IT MATTERS
The vote ended debate and advanced a nomination for leadership of the Department of Labor, but it did not decide whether Sonderling would be confirmed.
- Department of LaborThe nomination concerns who would serve as the department’s Secretary.
- Workers and employersThey may be affected by who leads the department, but this vote itself did not confirm the nominee or change policy.
PARTY DYNAMICS
Republicans voted yes, while Democrats and independents voted no; the vote followed the party-line positions shown in the record.
All 45 Democrats voted no, matching their party’s majority position.
All 53 Republicans voted yes, matching their party’s majority position.
Both independents voted no.
GLOSSARY
- Cloture
- Senate procedure that ends debate on a measure. Requires 60 votes to invoke on most legislation, simple majority on nominations after the 2013/2017 nuclear options. Voting yes on cloture is not the same as voting yes on the underlying bill — many senators do one but not the other.
- Motion to proceed
- Senate motion to begin formal floor consideration of a bill. Itself filibusterable, so often the first hurdle a bill faces — and often where bills die without ever being debated on their merits.
PARTY BREAKDOWN
HOW MEMBERS VOTED
100 OF 100
