Norton Outlines Expected Senate Procedures Today as DC Voting Rights Act Gains Momentum (2/23/09)

Norton Outlines Expected Senate Procedures that Begins Today as D.C. Voting Rights Act Gains Momentum

February 23, 2009

Washington, D.C. - Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today outlined the expected procedure that could begin in the Senate on the D.C. vote as early as this afternoon. After 2 p.m. today, Senators may begin speaking on the D.C. House Voting Rights Act, S. 160. The first item will be a motion to proceed to consider S. 160. Beginning this afternoon, any Senator may speak on the motion to proceed to consider the bill. Tomorrow, at 11 a.m., the Senate will take a vote to invoke cloture, which would end debate on the motion to proceed and allow debate on the bill itself to begin. "Our present count indicates that we have the 60 votes necessary to invoke cloture and begin the debate on S. 160," Norton said. The Senate is expected to then turn to the nomination of Hilda Solis to be Secretary of the Department of Labor after the cloture vote. "By Wednesday, we expect the Senate to begin debate on S.160, which will then be open to amendments," Norton added.

Later, Democrats and Republicans will agree to proceed to a final vote on the bill, or opponents of the bill may refuse to end debate on the bill, which can occur, but this does not occur frequently. If opponents refuse to end debate, however, again, 60 votes would be required to invoke cloture and proceed to a final vote on the bill. "We expect most Senators who voted in favor of invoking cloture on the motion to proceed to vote in favor of invoking cloture to end debate on the underlying bill," Norton said.