Congressional Glossary
What is a supermajority?
A supermajority is any voting threshold higher than a simple majority. In Congress that usually means 60 of 100 senators to end debate, or two-thirds of each chamber for the biggest decisions.
In one sentence
A supermajority is any voting threshold higher than a simple majority. In Congress that usually means 60 of 100 senators to end debate, or two-thirds of each chamber for the biggest decisions.
The common bars: 60 of 100 senators for cloture; two-thirds of each chamber for veto overrides and constitutional amendments
What a supermajority is
A supermajority is any requirement above half plus one. Congress decides most questions by simple majority: 218 of 435 in a full House, 51 of 100 in the Senate. For a short list of decisions, the rules demand more, either three-fifths or two-thirds, because the Framers or the chambers themselves wanted those actions to rest on broad agreement rather than a bare winning coalition. The word covers any such bar, three-fifths, two-thirds, three-quarters, and what every version shares is the power it hands a minority: a bloc well short of half the chamber can stop the action.
The two-thirds votes in the Constitution
The Constitution names the big ones. Overriding a presidential veto takes two-thirds of each chamber (Article I, Section 7). The Senate ratifies treaties by two-thirds of senators present (Article II, Section 2) and convicts in an impeachment trial by the same margin. Expelling a member takes two-thirds of the chamber. Proposing a constitutional amendment takes two-thirds of both chambers, before three-quarters of the states ratify (Article V). None of these can be reached by a party-line vote in a closely divided Congress.
The Senate's 60-vote threshold
The most common supermajority in practice is not constitutional at all. Senate Rule XXII requires three-fifths of the full Senate, 60 votes, to invoke cloture and end debate on most legislation, which is what gives the filibuster its force. Budget law adds another: setting aside many points of order under the Congressional Budget Act also takes 60 votes. Changing the Senate's standing rules is harder still, two-thirds of senators present and voting (senate.gov).
When a majority is not enough
The 119th Congress supplies clean examples. During the June 5, 2026 amendment marathon on the S. 2 budget bill, senators moved to waive budget rules blocking their amendments. Every one of those motions won a majority, and every one failed. The motion to waive for the Coons amendment drew 54 yes votes against 45 no, six short of the 60 the Budget Act demands. The list below shows these supermajority tests as they enter the record.
Supermajority, majority, quorum
The three get mixed up constantly. A quorum is attendance: the minimum number of members, a simple majority, who must be present for the chamber to act at all. A majority decides ordinary questions among those voting. A supermajority is a raised bar for specific, listed decisions. Sixty votes is a supermajority of the Senate; 51 senators is both a quorum and a majority.
Recent votes that needed 60
4 roll calls shown, newest first. Each row links to the official record.
Common questions
Any voting threshold above a simple majority. In Congress the common supermajorities are 60 of 100 senators to end debate under the cloture rule, and two-thirds of each chamber for veto overrides, constitutional amendments, expulsions, treaty ratification in the Senate, and impeachment convictions.
Two-thirds of members, usually those present and voting, rather than a fixed number. With every seat filled and voting, that is 290 in the House and 67 in the Senate. The Constitution requires it for veto overrides, proposing amendments, treaties, expulsions, and impeachment convictions.
Yes. Sixty votes is three-fifths of the Senate's 100 members, the threshold Rule XXII sets for ending debate on most legislation. It is a chamber rule, not a constitutional requirement, which is why the Senate could change how it applies to nominations, as it did in 2013 and 2017.