Rules Masthead
Vol. 105, No. 13
May 28, 1998
Gerald B.H. Solomon, Chairman
"In the early Congresses, the previous question was used in the House for an entirely different purpose than it is today, having been modeled on the English parliamentary practice. As early as 1604, the previous question had been used in the Parliament to suppress a question which the majority deemed undesirable for further discussion or action. Manual �� 442, 463. The Continental Congress adopted this device in 1778, but there was no intention of using it as a means of closing debate in order to bring the pending question to a vote. 5 Hinds ?5445."
- House Practice: A Guide to the Rules, Precedents and Procedures of the House
by Wm. Holmes Brown, Parliamentarian of the House 1974-1994, p. 654.

THE PREVIOUS QUESTION:
WHAT DOES THIS VOTE MEAN?

Today the previous question is a motion made in order under House Rule XVII, and accorded precedence under clause 4 of Rule XVI, and is the only parliamentary device in the House used for both closing debate and preventing amendment. The effect of adopting the previous question is to bring the pending proposition or question to an immediate, final vote. The motion is most often made (as opposed to ordered by a rule) at the conclusion of debate on a rule or a motion or piece of legislation prior to final passage. A Member might think about ordering the previous question in terms of answering the question: Is the House ready to vote on the bill or amendment before it?

Furthermore, in order to amend a rule (other than by the manager��s offering an amendment to it or by the manager yielding for the purpose of amendment), the House must vote against ordering the previous question. If the motion for the previous question is defeated, the House is in effect, turning control of the Floor over to the Member who led the opposition.

If the motion for the previous question is defeated, the Speaker then recognizes the Member who led the opposition to the previous question (usually a Member of the Minority party) to control an additional hour of debate during which a germane amendment may be offered to the rule. The Member controlling the Floor then moves the previous question on the amendment and the rule. If the previous question is ordered, the next vote occurs on the amendment followed by a vote on the rule as amended or not.

EXTENSION OF REMARKS

A form is available on the Leadership tables on the Floor for Members who wish to obtain permission to extend their remarks in the section of the Congressional Record entitled "Extensions of Remarks." A Member may sign themselves up or make the request through the Cloakroom. The Member on duty at the close of each day asks permission for such extensions which can include extraneous materials. Things to remember:

1. No material may be submitted for the Congressional Record without some type of permission. Members should check with the Floor staff, if they are unsure whether they have the necessary permission;

2. ALL material submitted must bear an original Member��s signature in the upper right-hand corner of the front page -- facsimiles are not permitted -- and the Member��s typed name to be sure of identification;

3. If the extraneous material a Member plans to insert will exceed two pages of the Congressional Record, it must be submitted to GPO in advance for a cost estimate. When the estimate is received the Member must ask leave of the House IN PERSON, that notwithstanding the cost, it be printed. At the beginning or the end of the day the Member must stand and seek recognition. The Speaker will say, "For what purpose does the gentleman/gentlewoman from _____ rise?" The Member will respond by saying, "I ask unanimous consent to extend my remarks in the Record and to include therein extraneous material notwithstanding the fact that it exceeds two pages and is estimated by the GPO to cost $_____." (As of June 1996, it cost $435.00 per page for the first two pages and $239.00 for every page thereafter) DD

Extensions should be placed in the folder on the Leadership tables, delivered to the Cloakroom, handed to the Congressional Record clerks who sit at the bottom tier of the rostrum during session, or delivered to the Office of the Official Reporters of Debates in Room HT-60 of the Capitol by 5 p.m. or 15 minutes after the House adjourns, whichever is later.

OBTAINING A ROLLCALL VOTE ON THE HOUSE FLOOR

In the House (Quorum = 218)

If few Members are present:

"Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the grounds that a quorum is not present and make a point of order that a quorum is not present."

(If 218 members are not present, a roll call vote is automatic); or

"Mr. Speaker, I request the yeas and nays."
(1/5th of the Members must stand in support of the request).

If the Floor is crowded:      (over 218 Members present)

"Mr. Speaker, on that I request a recorded vote."
(44 Members must stand in support of the recorded vote).

In the Committee of the Whole (Quorum = 100)

If few Members are present:

"Mr. Chairman, I request a recorded vote and, pending that, I make a point of order that a quorum is not present."
(If 25 members stand in support, the point of order should be withdrawn, as the vote will be ordered).

If the Floor is crowded:      (over 100 Members present)

"Mr. Chairman, I request a recorded vote."
(25 Members must stand in support).

KEY DEFINITIONS:

Calendar - An agenda or list of business awaiting possible action by the House or Senate. The House has five calendars (the Corrections Calendar, the Discharge Calendar, the House Calendar, the Private Calendar and the Union Calendar).

Suspension - A time-saving method used to consider legislation. By suspending the rules and passing the measure, this procedure has the effect of preventing any points of order from being raised against a measure for violation of a rule. Under this procedure, the bill is unamendable (except the motion to suspend the rules may propose to pass a measure in amended form) and debate on the motion and the measure is limited to forty minutes equally divided between a proponent and an opponent. A favorable vote of two-thirds, a quorum being present, is necessary for passage. This procedure is in order every Monday and Tuesday and is intended to be reserved for relatively noncontroversial bills. The rules of the House Republican Conference prohibit the consideration of a bill under suspension which costs more than $100 million. This requirement can be waived by the Republican Leadership.