Tuesday’s vote came after a day of debate in which several white senators said they had come to understand why their black colleagues felt the flag no longer represented the valor of Southern soldiers but the racism that led the South to separate from the United States more than 150 years ago.

Debate in the House will likely begin Wednesday, and it’s far from clear when a vote may be taken. Republicans met behind closed doors Monday and struggled to reach a consensus on what to do next.

One idea being floated is to keep the pole and put a different flag on it: the U.S. flag, the South Carolina flag or a flag that may have been flown by Confederate troops but is not as divisive as the red banner with the blue cross and white stars.