amount of votes needed to pass a bill in the senate
Nuclear option Before November 2013, Senate rules required a three-fifths vote of the "duly chosen and sworn" members of the Senate (usually 60 votes) to end debate on a bill, nomination or other proposal; they also require a two-thirds vote ("present and voting" â€“ 67 or more votes) to end debate on a change to the Senate rules. Those rules effectively allowed a minority of the Senate to block a bill or nomination through the technique of the filibuster. This had resulted in a de facto requirement that a nomination have the support of 60 Senators to pass, rather than a majority of 51. A three-fifths majority vote is still required to end debates on legislation.[4] Before April 2017, Senate rules required a three-fifths vote to confirm nominations for Supreme Court nominees.