vote-a-rama
noun
vote-a-ra·ma
ˌvō-tə-ˈrä-mə 
-ˈra-
plural vote-a-ramas
U.S. government
: an unusually large number of debates and votes that happen in one day on a single piece of legislation to which an unlimited number of amendments can be introduced, debated, and voted on
The Senate defines it as 15 or more votes that happen on a piece of legislation in a single day (while vote-a-ramas are often done on budget resolutions, they can be about any piece of legislation, like the health care bill). After the allotted time of debate on a bill expires, any senator can introduce an unlimited number of amendments to a piece of legislation. They then vote on the amendments, marathon-style. This can go on for hours.—
Jessica Estepa
Jessica EstepaPassing a budget resolution is part of a process known as reconciliation, which allows legislation to pass in the Senate with only a simple majority instead of the typical 60-vote threshold, meaning Democrats would be able to green-light it without any Republican votes. But Republicans forced Democrats to go on the record with a series of votes on a slew of amendments in the politically painful "vote-a-rama."—Grace Segers
Grace SegersExamples of vote-a-rama in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
And that’s before factoring in the vast amount of overtime senators have been putting in throughout a ‘vote-a-rama’ marathon that Republicans want to bring to the finish line by Independence Day.
—Ruxandra Iordache, CNBC, 4 July 2025
Throughout June 30 and into the morning of July 1, lawmakers have considered and voted on 45 amendments – a record number in what is known in Washington as a vote-a-rama.
—Savannah Kuchar, USA Today, 2 July 2025
The Senate approved the bill on July 1 after a marathon vote-a-rama.
—Aliss Higham, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 July 2025
The Senate has spent some 18 hours churning through more than two dozen amendments in what is called a vote-a-rama, a typically laborious process that went on longer than usual as negotiations happen on and off the chamber floor.
—Jim Edwards, Fortune, 1 July 2025
Trump’s remarks comes as the Senate pulled an all-night vote-a-rama on amendments to the bill.
—Alex Gangitano, The Hill, 1 July 2025
After weeks of infighting, last-minute rewrites, and a marathon vote-a-rama, Senate Republicans narrowly passed President Donald Trump’s sweeping domestic policy bill on Tuesday, setting up a final showdown in the House.
—Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 1 July 2025
Record-breaking vote-a-rama This latest vote-a-rama began June 30 and continued late into the morning July 1, spanning more than 24 hours, according to CNBC.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 1 July 2025
What started as a routine but laborious day of amendment voting, in a process called vote-a-rama, spiraled into a round-the-clock slog as Republican leaders were buying time to shore up support.
—Lisa Mascaro, Chicago Tribune, 1 July 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Ruxandra Iordache, CNBC, 4 July 2025
Throughout June 30 and into the morning of July 1, lawmakers have considered and voted on 45 amendments – a record number in what is known in Washington as a vote-a-rama.
—Savannah Kuchar, USA Today, 2 July 2025
The Senate approved the bill on July 1 after a marathon vote-a-rama.
—Aliss Higham, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 July 2025
The Senate has spent some 18 hours churning through more than two dozen amendments in what is called a vote-a-rama, a typically laborious process that went on longer than usual as negotiations happen on and off the chamber floor.
—Jim Edwards, Fortune, 1 July 2025
Trump’s remarks comes as the Senate pulled an all-night vote-a-rama on amendments to the bill.
—Alex Gangitano, The Hill, 1 July 2025
After weeks of infighting, last-minute rewrites, and a marathon vote-a-rama, Senate Republicans narrowly passed President Donald Trump’s sweeping domestic policy bill on Tuesday, setting up a final showdown in the House.
—Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 1 July 2025
Record-breaking vote-a-rama This latest vote-a-rama began June 30 and continued late into the morning July 1, spanning more than 24 hours, according to CNBC.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 1 July 2025
What started as a routine but laborious day of amendment voting, in a process called vote-a-rama, spiraled into a round-the-clock slog as Republican leaders were buying time to shore up support.
—Lisa Mascaro, Chicago Tribune, 1 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Vote-a-rama.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vote-a-rama. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share