On the Motion to Proceed S. 940

Number:
Senate Vote #72 [primary source: senate.gov]
Date:
May 17, 2011 (112th Congress)
Result:
Motion to Proceed Rejected
Related Bill:
S. 940 (112th): Close Big Oil Tax Loopholes Act
Introduced by Sen. Robert “Bob” Menéndez [D-NJ] on May 10, 2011
Current Status: Reported by Committee

This was a procedural vote.

(About Ads | Advertise Here)
Totals     Democrat     Republican     Independent
  Yea 52
 
 
 
52%
48 2 2
  Nay 48
 
 
 
48%
3 45 0
Required: 3/5

Vote Details

Notes

What’s the difference between aye and yea?

There is no meaningful difference between aye and yea (and nay and no), but the terms are used in different sorts of votes based on Congress’s long tradition of parliamentary procedure. The House and Senate follow the U.S. Constitution strictly when it says that bills should be decided on by the “yeas and nays” (Article I, Section 7). The House sometimes operates under a special set of rules called the “Committee of the Whole on the State of the Union” (or “Committee of the Whole” for short), which is a sort of pseudo-committee that is made up of every congressman. During this mode of operation, the House uses the terms “aye” and “no” instead. (See the Rules of the House, Rule XX, and House Practice in the section Voting.)