This vote was on bringing debate to a close on a bill that would extend for varying lengths of time, mostly around a year, several programs that would have otherwise expired within a month. These include unemployment benefits, heath insurance subsidies for the unemployed, small business loans, flood insurance and other items.

Republicans had threatened to hold up his consideration indefinitely with a filibuster, causing Senate Majority Harry Reid, D-Nev., to file what is known as a “cloture motion,” which, in essence, is a vote on bringing debate on an issue to a close.

If the Senate votes to “invoke cloture” – or bring debate to a close – then lawmakers must either hold a vote on the legislation, amendment or motion in question, or move on to other business. This type of motion is most often called on contentious legislation where the leadership is concerned that consideration could be held up indefinitely by a handful of senators.

Republicans spent much of their time during debate on this bill offering amendments to use unspent money allocated by the 2009 economic stimulus law to pay for the bill’s spending either in whole or in part. They were all defeated.

This is the second cloture motion that was called on this bill. The first one (see vote 46) was on pasting in the text, as modified, to the bill itself. This cloture vote was on the bill itself, as already modified earlier in the debate.

By a vote of 66-33, the Senate voted to bring debate to a close. All but one Democrat present voted to bring debate to a close. Of Republicans present, 9 voted to bring debate to a close and 32 voted against. The end result is that the Senate voted to close debate on a bill that would extend expiring programs, including those intended to help the unemployed, and move on to final passage of the bill.