Complex sentence: The amendment came closest to overcoming a discharge petition on January 10,1938, when it was defeated in the House by a vote of 209 to 188, far short of the two-thirds vote required for its passage.
Split into simpler sentences: The amendment came closest to overcoming a discharge petition on January 10,1938, when it was defeated in the House by a vote of 209 to 188. That was short of the two-thirds vote required for its passage.