A motion to proceed asks the Senate to start formal consideration of a matter. It is a procedural hurdle, separate from a final vote on a nomination.

The Senate later voted to confirm Ratcliffe on January 23, 2025.

• On the Nomination PN11-19
  Jan 23, 2025Nomination Confirmed (74-25)
• On the Cloture Motion PN11-19
  Jan 23, 2025Cloture Motion Agreed to (72-26)

The motion cleared an early step in the Senate’s consideration of a nominee to lead the CIA. It did not itself give Ratcliffe the position.

• Central Intelligence Agency
  The nomination concerned who would serve as the agency’s director.
• John Ratcliffe
  The vote advanced his nomination for further Senate consideration.

The vote followed the parties’ majority positions: Republicans mostly voted yes, while Democrats mostly voted no. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania was the one Democrat listed as voting against his party’s majority position.

• D
  John FettermanPennsylvania

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

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.

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.