On the Cloture Motion

On January 31, 2019, the Senate voted to "invoke cloture" on an amendment (S.Amdt. 77) to a broader foreign policy bill regarding security cooperation in the Middle East. This procedural vote was a move to limit further debate and prevent a filibuster, allowing the Senate to move toward a final vote on the measure.

The amendment, introduced by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, expressed the sense of the Senate that the United States should maintain a military presence in Syria and Afghanistan to prevent terrorist groups like ISIS and al-Qaeda from regaining a foothold. The measure was a response to the administration's announced plans at the time to withdraw troops from those regions.

The vote passed with broad bipartisan support, receiving 68 "Yea" votes. While the majority of Republicans supported the measure, Democrats were more divided, with 24 voting in favor and 19 voting against.