Advocacy Glossary
Senate hold
What does Senate hold mean?
A Senate hold is a senator's notice to party leaders that they will object to moving a bill or nomination by unanimous consent, which slows it down or stops it.
Why it matters for advocates
A hold is not in the formal rules. It works because leaders usually honor it rather than spend days of floor time overcoming an objection.
Senators use holds as leverage, sometimes on issues unrelated to the bill or nominee. Knowing who has a hold on your issue, and why, tells you what it would take to move it.
Related terms
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