On the Motion to Discharge

On June 13, 2019, the Senate rejected a "Motion to Discharge," a procedural move used to bring a piece of legislation or a nomination out of a committee and directly to the Senate floor for a full vote. Because the motion failed with a 42-57 vote, the underlying matter remained in committee, effectively halting its progress at that time.

The vote largely followed party lines, with the majority of Democrats supporting the motion and the vast majority of Republicans opposing it. While three Republicans joined the Democrats in voting "Yea" and seven Democrats joined the Republicans in voting "Nay," the measure did not gain the broad support necessary to bypass the standard committee process.