Cloture is a vote to limit debate and move toward a vote on the nomination; it does not decide whether the nominee is confirmed. Under the rule for executive-branch nominations, cloture required a simple majority: 50 of the 99 senators who cast a yes or no vote.

The Senate later voted separately to confirm Kessler, so the nomination process is complete.

• On the Nomination PN22-12
  Mar 13, 2025Nomination Confirmed (54-45)

The vote moved Kessler’s nomination toward a final decision for a senior Commerce Department position. The separate confirmation vote later completed the process.

• Department of Commerce
  The nomination was for its Under Secretary for Industry and Security position.
• Jeffrey Kessler
  The Senate later confirmed him to the position.

Republicans largely supported cloture, while Democrats largely opposed it; the recorded party positions were mostly divided along party lines. Michigan Democratic Senator Elissa Slotkin voted yes, against her party’s majority position.

• D
  Elissa SlotkinMichigan

  Voted YES against party majority— The only Democratic member who voted yes while most Democrats voted no.

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.