Final answer:
Senators use a motion for cloture to end a filibuster and bring legislation to a vote; it requires a supermajority of 60 senators to pass.
Step-by-step explanation:
Senators use a motion for cloture to end a filibuster or prolonged debate over a piece of legislation and force a vote on the matter. With the modern use of the filibuster, a cloture motion becomes necessary when senators declare they are debating an issue and thus prevent it from coming to a vote. In order to pass a cloture motion, a supermajority is needed.
Currently, this means that 60 senators must vote in favor of cloture to effectively end debate and proceed to voting on the legislation. Initially, it required a two-thirds majority, but since 1975, after the civil rights era, the Senate reduced the number required for cloture from two-thirds to three-fifths, or sixty votes, to weaken the filibuster. Exceptions to this rule include judicial nominations and the annual budget reconciliation act.