[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 48 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 48

    Amending the Rules of the House of Representatives by requiring 
        transparency of record votes in the Committee on Rules.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 10, 2007

   Mr. Dreier (for himself, Mr. Lincoln Diaz-Balart of Florida, Mr. 
   Hastings of Washington, and Mr. Sessions) submitted the following 
        resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Rules

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
    Amending the Rules of the House of Representatives by requiring 
        transparency of record votes in the Committee on Rules.

Whereas the Republican controlled 104th Congress adopted rules of the House 
        requiring all committees to include in their reports accurate records of 
        all recorded votes on measures and matters and any amendments thereto;
Whereas the Democratically controlled 110th Congress adopted a rule waiving the 
        reporting requirements concerning committee votes against reports from 
        the Committee on Rules;
Whereas during the period starting with the 104th Congress through the 109th 
        Congress, the Committee on Rules held 1,304 recorded votes that were 
        accurately reflected in the reports of the Committee on Rules;
Whereas the Committee on Rules has had a membership of only thirteen Members 
        since the 98th Congress;
Whereas clause 3(a)(2) of rule XIII provides for the filing of a supplemental 
        committee report specifically for the purpose of correcting any errors 
        in the depiction of recorded votes, should they occur;
Whereas pursuant to clause 3(a)(2) of rule XIII, the layover requirements under 
        clause 4 (three-day layover requirement for committee reports) and 
        clause 6 (one-day layover requirement for privileged reports from the 
        Committee on Rules) of rule XIII are not applicable to supplemental 
        reports correcting errors in the depiction of recorded votes;
Whereas committee reports provide essential legislative history by which to 
        evaluate the actions of a committee;
Whereas requiring the inclusion of accurate committee votes in committee reports 
        provides the public with a permanent, official, and reliable record as 
        to the actions of a committee on particular measures and matters;
Whereas other methods of disclosure, such as the internet, lack the permanence 
        required of legislative history; and
Whereas committee reports are held in the National Archives and the Federal 
        Depository Libraries to benefit future generations seeking accurate 
        historical information on previous congressional action: Now, therefore, 
        be it
    Resolved, That the second sentence of clause 3(b) of rule XIII of 
the Rules of the House of Representatives is amended by striking ``a 
report by the Committee on Rules on a rule, joint rule, or the order of 
business or to''.
                                 <all>