By — Lisa Desjardins Lisa Desjardins Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/happens-senate-tied Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter What happens if the Senate is tied? Politics Nov 4, 2014 5:07 PM EDT Republicans need six seats to claim the Senate majority. If they win five, the Senate will be tied for only the fourth time in history. While Vice President Joe Biden can break the tie, his vote might not be enough to move bills past a filibuster. We dig into past tied sessions and break down the numbers the Senate needs to pass legislation. We're not going anywhere. Stand up for truly independent, trusted news that you can count on! Donate now By — Lisa Desjardins Lisa Desjardins Lisa Desjardins is a correspondent for PBS News Hour, where she covers news from the U.S. Capitol while also traveling across the country to report on how decisions in Washington affect people where they live and work. @LisaDNews
Republicans need six seats to claim the Senate majority. If they win five, the Senate will be tied for only the fourth time in history. While Vice President Joe Biden can break the tie, his vote might not be enough to move bills past a filibuster. We dig into past tied sessions and break down the numbers the Senate needs to pass legislation. We're not going anywhere. Stand up for truly independent, trusted news that you can count on! Donate now