This vote was to decide whether the Senate should begin formal debate on Senate Joint Resolution 31 (S.J.Res. 31). A joint resolution is a legislative measure that generally requires approval from both the House and the Senate and is then presented to the President for signature to become law. In the Senate, a 'Motion to Proceed' is a necessary procedural step used to bring a bill or resolution to the floor for discussion and eventual voting. Voting 'yes' does not mean the resolution itself has passed; it only means the Senate has agreed to spend its time debating the merits of the proposal. The motion was agreed to with a bipartisan vote of 52 to 40. This outcome allows the Senate to move forward with debating the resolution. While both major parties were internally divided on whether to take up this specific measure, a majority of members from both sides joined together to allow the process to continue.