it was a pre - emptive vote in the high - stakes political fight as the senate still has n't voted on the measure from senate majority leader harry reid .
meanwhile , as expected , the senate failed to break the 60 - vote threshold to end debate on a bill by reid ’s ( d - nev . )
fifty senators voted to end debate on reid ( d - nev . )
but sources in both parties said all sides were close to signing off on the emerging agreement except house speaker john a. boehner ( r - ohio ) .
” just hours before reid had sparred on the floor with mcconnell over the seriousness of his efforts , and reid ’s change of tone — and tactics — suggested that real progress had been made .
house minority leader nancy pelosi pleaded for an end to " this theater of the absurd " and said " it 's time for us to get real . "
bill to raise the debt ceiling by $ 2.2 trillion in an early afternoon vote on sunday as the outlines of the deal between senate leaders and the white house began to take shape .
the vote was 246 - 173 .
“ there are many elements to be finalized , and there is still a distance to go before any arrangement can be completed , ” said senate majority leader harry reid .