After the 2020 elections, the U.S. Senate was effectively split down; 50 Republicans versus 48 Democrats and two independents who caucus with them. Even though Democrats controlled the Senate because of Vice President Kamala Harris’ tiebreaking vote, much of the party’s legislative agenda ran up against the political reality that, for most bills, 60 votes are needed to end filibusters and bring bills to a final vote.

Many Democratic lawmakers and political activists have called for ending the filibuster entirely and allowing simple majorities to move legislation forward. But even though there haven’t been enough votes to abolish the filibuster, the current Senate has managed to clear the 60-vote hurdle on more than two dozen occasions, including on several of this Congress’ main legislative achievements.

So far, 29 separate pieces of legislation have faced at least one cloture vote in the Senate to end a filibuster, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of Senate legislative and voting data. Thirteen of those bills have gone on to become law. Among them: a $550 billion infrastructure package, legislation to address a wave of hate crimes against Asian Americans, and a gun safety and mental health services bill containing the first new gun restrictions in decades.