[deport]

A cloture vote requires that the request be submitted by 16 Senators and it must lay over before being brought up for the vote....

Rules of the Senate.... XXII
2. Notwithstanding the provisions of rule II or rule IV or any other rule of the Senate, at any time a motion signed by sixteen Senators, to bring to a close the debate upon any measure, motion, other matter pending before the Senate, or the unfinished business, is presented to the Senate, the Presiding Officer, or clerk at the direction of the Presiding Officer, shall at once state the motion to the Senate, and one hour after the Senate meets on the following calendar day but one, he shall lay the motion before the Senate and direct that the clerk call the roll, and upon the ascertainment that a quorum is present, the Presiding Officer shall, without debate, submit to the Senate by a yea-and-nay vote the question:

"Is it the sense of the Senate that the debate shall be brought to a close?" And if that question shall be decided in the affirmative by three-fifths of the Senators duly chosen and sworn -- except on a measure or motion to amend the Senate rules, in which case the necessary affirmative vote shall be two-thirds of the Senators present and voting -- then said measure, motion, or other matter pending before the Senate, or the unfinished business, shall be the unfinished business to the exclusion of all other business until disposed of.

[PhiKapMom]

Thanks for posting that!

[Saundra Duffy]

If Miguel Estrada is defeated, there will be a revolt!

[RandyRep]

That's actually pretty clear. 60 votes.

It's getting to that point, and how you get the Dems to spend 24/7 on the floor that I'm confused about.

In the end, if cloture is to be invoked, we need another 5 votes. There are enough states with Dem senators and significant Hispanic voters (CA, FL, NJ, NY, IL, LA, etc) that perhaps some could be convinced.

Perhaps the WH offer to respond to questions will do the trick.