As Bush forced a showdown with Iraq, he asked Congress to give him the power to wage war if necessary. The idea was unprecedented, because the president had not even publicly declared that the nation needed to go to war, and before any hostilities had been engaged or an imminent threat identified. Progressives saw the move as an abandonment of an important Congressional power for the sake of a war they did not believe was necessary in the first place. In the Senate, debate continues indefinitely unless expressly called to an end with a vote. This act of ending debate is referred to as "cloture," and it requires 60 votes to pass. Progressives opposed cloture on the use of force resolution because they did not want the legislation to move forward at all. However, the cloture motion passed with 15 votes to spare, 75-25, and the resolution moved toward final passage.