Senate Votes To Continue Debate On Hagel Nomination

A cloture vote on the nomination of former Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel for defense secretary failed in the Senate, today.

That means Senate Republicans succeeded — with a vote of 58 to 40 — in keeping the Hagel nomination from coming before a final vote. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid scheduled the cloture vote after Republicans refused to give unanimous consent to proceed with the final vote.

As our friend Frank James says in It's All Politics, this is an unprecedented block of a defense nominee.

Before the vote, Republicans on the floor argued that this was not a vote to filibuster the nomination. But Democrats, who control the chamber, have enough votes to pass the nomination, but don't have the 60-vote super-majority to overcome what's a essentially a Republican filibuster.

The Senate Armed Services Committee voted along party lines to approve the nomination on Wednesday.

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