Before November 2013, Senate rules required a three - fifths vote of the "duly chosen and sworn '' members of the Senate (usually 60 votes) to end debate on a bill, nomination or other proposal; they also require a two - thirds vote ("present and voting '' -- 67 or more votes) to end debate on a change to the Senate rules. Those rules effectively allowed a minority of the Senate to block a bill or nomination through the technique of the filibuster. This had resulted in a de facto requirement that a nomination have the support of 60 Senators to pass, rather than a majority of 51. A three - fifths majority vote is still required to end debates on legislation. Before April 2017, Senate rules required a three - fifths vote to confirm nominations for Supreme Court nominees.
amount of votes needed to pass a bill in the senate
three - fifths vote of the "duly chosen and sworn '' members of the Senate