Senate Holds

A hold is not mentioned in the Senate's rules. It is a request by a senator to his or her party leader not to bring up a bill or nomination by unanimous consent, signaling that the senator will object. Because most Senate business moves by unanimous consent, a hold forces the majority leader either to negotiate with the senator or to spend scarce floor time on cloture, which can take days. Holds developed as a courtesy among senators and became common in the second half of the twentieth century.

For decades holds were often anonymous, known as secret holds. The Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007 required senators to disclose holds after a set period, and a 2011 standing order required that a notice of intent to object be published in the Congressional Record within two session days, though enforcement has been limited. Senators use holds to extract concessions from the executive branch, gain time to review a measure, protest an unrelated policy, or press for action on home-state concerns, and some place blanket holds on all nominees for a department.

Holds can have large effects. In 2023 a single senator's hold delayed the promotions of hundreds of senior military officers for most of the year to protest a Defense Department policy on abortion travel. In 2025 the minority party placed holds and objected to quick confirmation of nearly all nominees, prompting the majority to change Senate precedent in September to allow group confirmations. Supporters say holds give each senator leverage to represent constituents and check the executive, while critics say they let one senator obstruct the work of the entire Senate.