The AP reports that Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist's motion for cloture has passed. This effectively ends debate on S.2611 and clears the way for a vote on the legislation later this week (or even later today).

To judge by the number of Senators who voted for cloture -- 73 yeas, 25 nays -- it seems likely the bill will pass. I will update with a breakdown of this morning's Senate vote as soon as one is available...

UPDATE (1.10PM):

If you've not done so already, contact your Senators here and tell them to vote 'no' on S.2611.

What others are saying:

They Call me Vonski with an email from Numbers USA's Roy Beck: "THE PROCEDURAL BACKROOM DEALS PREVAILED -- MANY OF OUR ALLIES SOLD OUT OUR BEST OPPORTUNITY TO STOP THE SENATE AMNESTY [...] THE NEED FOR PHONING HAS NOT ENDED."

Iowa Voice warns: "Get ready, folks....the big sell-out is coming."

Hot Air with continuous updates.

A Certain Slant of Light observes: "Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) has become the Republican Party’s version of John Kerry — he voted for border security first before he set the stage to vote against it."

UPDATE (5.20pm): The roll call vote on this morning's cloture motion is finally up. Here it is grouped by vote:

YEAs ---73
Akaka (D-HI)
Alexander (R-TN)
Baucus (D-MT)
Bayh (D-IN)
Bennett (R-UT)
Biden (D-DE)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Boxer (D-CA)
Brownback (R-KS)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Carper (D-DE)
Chafee (R-RI)
Clinton (D-NY)
Cochran (R-MS)
Coleman (R-MN)
Collins (R-ME)
Conrad (D-ND)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Craig (R-ID)
Dayton (D-MN)
DeWine (R-OH)
Dodd (D-CT)
Domenici (R-NM)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feingold (D-WI)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Frist (R-TN)
Graham (R-SC)
Gregg (R-NH)
Hagel (R-NE)
Harkin (D-IA)
Hatch (R-UT)
Hutchison (R-TX)
Inouye (D-HI)
Jeffords (I-VT)
Johnson (D-SD)
Kennedy (D-MA)
Kerry (D-MA)
Kohl (D-WI)
Kyl (R-AZ)
Landrieu (D-LA)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Leahy (D-VT)
Levin (D-MI)
Lieberman (D-CT)
Lincoln (D-AR)
Lott (R-MS)
Lugar (R-IN)
Martinez (R-FL)
McCain (R-AZ)
McConnell (R-KY)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Murray (D-WA)
Nelson (D-FL)
Nelson (D-NE)
Obama (D-IL)
Pryor (D-AR)
Reed (D-RI)
Reid (D-NV)
Salazar (D-CO)
Sarbanes (D-MD)
Schumer (D-NY)
Smith (R-OR)
Snowe (R-ME)
Specter (R-PA)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Stevens (R-AK)
Thomas (R-WY)
Voinovich (R-OH)
Warner (R-VA)
Wyden (D-OR)

NAYs ---25
Allard (R-CO)
Allen (R-VA)
Bond (R-MO)
Bunning (R-KY)
Burns (R-MT)
Burr (R-NC)
Byrd (D-WV)
Chambliss (R-GA)
Coburn (R-OK)
Crapo (R-ID)
DeMint (R-SC)
Dole (R-NC)
Dorgan (D-ND)
Ensign (R-NV)
Grassley (R-IA)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Isakson (R-GA)
Roberts (R-KS)
Santorum (R-PA)
Sessions (R-AL)
Shelby (R-AL)
Sununu (R-NH)
Talent (R-MO)
Thune (R-SD)
Vitter (R-LA)

Not Voting - 2
Enzi (R-WY)
Rockefeller (D-WV)

Rockefeller was apparently away for back surgery. I don't know about Enzi. Of the 25 who voted against cloture (the good guys), 23 were Republicans. Of the 73 who voted for it (the other sort), 31 were Republicans.

Check this list to see where your Senators stood and then call them first thing tomorrow morning. S.2611 is almost certain to pass out of the Senate before week's end. It is nevertheless important to let those Senators who sided with Frist know that their votes have not gone unremarked at home.

Contact your Senators here.