This vote was on a procedural motion made by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., that would instruct the Senate’s sergeant-at-arms to request the attendance of absent senators.  It isn’t uncommon for the Senate to spend large chunks of time in a “quorum call,” which is technically an accounting of who is on the floor and who is not.  However, a quorum call’s real purpose is to give senators time to negotiate items off the floor.

In contrast, Reid’s motion actually sought to compel absent senators to physically come to the Senate floor and record their presence.  It was mostly a parliamentary tactic to illustrate Reid’s frustration with Republicans blocking a bill that would radically overhaul the nation’s regulations over financial institutions (see vote 124).    Reid sought to use it to put pressure on senators to move the bill, and illustrate that he had the power to keep them inside the halls of the Capitol until late in the night if necessary.

By a vote of 50-31, the motion was agreed to.  Every Democrat present voted for the motion.  All but one Republican present voted against the motion.  The end result is that the Senate voted to have the sergeant at arms request absent senators to come to the Senate floor.