Senate hold

A hold is an informal practice by which a senator tells party leaders that he or she objects to a bill or nomination coming up by unanimous consent. It is not in the Senate's formal rules. The leader may honor a hold by not scheduling the matter, since otherwise the Senate would need to use time-consuming procedures.

Holds are used for various reasons: to oppose a nominee, to seek information or a policy change from an agency, to bargain for a vote or to protest an unrelated action. A senator may place a hold on a single nominee or on large groups of them. Holds were once secret, but Senate rules adopted in 2011 required senators to make holds public within a short period, and since then notice is expected.

A hold does not block action permanently. The majority leader can file for cloture and force a vote, but doing so costs floor time, which is scarce. Critics say holds give individual senators too much power to slow government, especially for military promotions and executive nominees. Supporters say they provide a way to draw attention to an issue and press for responses. Holds are a prime example of how Senate custom shapes the advice and consent process.