[Constitution, Jefferson's Manual, and the Rules of the House of Representatives, 104th Congress]
[104th Congress]
[House Document 103-342]
[Rules of the House of Representatives]
[Pages 691-707]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



 

                               Rule XXIV.


                           ORDER OF BUSINESS.



Sec. 878. The rule for the order of business in the House.

  1. The daily order of business shall be as follows:
   
First. Prayer by the Chaplain. l  Second. Reading and approval of the 
Journal, unless postponed pursuant to the provisions of clause 5(b)(1) 
of rule I.


  Third. The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.

  Fourth. Correction of reference of public bills.

  Fifth. Disposal of business on the Speaker's table.


[[Page 692]]

  Sixth. Unfinished business. 

  Seventh. The morning hour for the consideration of bills called up by 
committees.

  Eighth. Motions to go into Committee of the Whole House on the state 
of the Union.


  Ninth. Orders of the day.

  Originally the House had no rule prescribing an order of business, but 
certain simple usages were gradually established by practice before the 
first rule on the subject was adopted in 1811. The rule was amended 
frequently in an endeavor so to arrange the business as to give the 
House as large a freedom as possible in selecting for consideration and 
completing the consideration of the bills that it deems most important. 
The basic form of the rule has been in place since (IV, 3056). The 98th 
Congress made a conforming change to the second order of business 
relating to the postponement of the vote on approval of the Journal (H. 
Res. 5, Jan. 3, 1983, p. 34). The 104th Congress added the present third 
order of business respecting the Pledge of Allegiance (sec. 218, H. Res. 
6, Jan. 4, 1995, p. ----).

  The Speaker does not entertain a point of no quorum before the prayer 
is offered (VI, 663). Under clause 6 of rule XV, a point of no quorum 
may not be entertained before or during the offering of prayer or unless 
a question is pending (see Sec. 774c, supra).


[[Page 693]]

<>   The privileged matters which may interrupt the order 
of business are as follows: l  (1) General appropriation bills (clause 9 
of rule XVI; IV, 3072). l  (2) Conference reports (clause 1(a) of rule 
XXVIII; V, 6443) and motions to discharge or instruct conferees (clause 
1(b) of rule XXVIII).


Sec. 879. Privileged interruptions of the order of 
business in the House.

  This rule  does not, however, bind the House to a daily 
routine, since the system of making certain important subjects 
privileged (see clause 4(a) of rule XI, clause 9 of rule XVI, and rule 
XXVIII) permits the interruption of the order of business by matters 
which, in fact, often supplant it entirely for days at a time. But on 
any day, when the order of business is interrupted by a privileged 
matter, the business in order goes on from the place of interruption 
(IV, 3070, 3071) unless the House adjourn. After an adjournment the 
House begins again at the beginning. While privileged matters may 
interrupt the order of business, they may do so only with the consent of 
a majority of the House, expressed as to appropriation bills by the vote 
on going into Committee of the Whole to consider such bills, and as to 
matters like conference reports, questions of privilege, etc., by 
raising and voting on the question of consideration. The only exceptions 
to the principle that a majority may prevent interruption is contained 
in clauses 6 and 7 of rule XXIV, providing for a call of the private 
calendar on the first Tuesday of each month and a call of committees on 
Wednesdays. By this combination of an order of business with privileged 
interruptions the House is enabled to give precedence to its most 
important business without at the same time losing the power by majority 
vote to go to any other bills on its calendars.


  (3) Special orders reported by the Committee on Rules for 
consideration by the House (clause 4(b) of rule XI; IV, 3070-3076, 
4621).

  (4) Consideration of amendments between the Houses after disagreement 
(IV, 3149, 3150).

  (5) Questions of privilege (rule IX; III, 2521).

  (6) Privileged bills reported under the right to report at any time 
(clause 4(a) of rule XI; IV, 3142-3144, 4621; clause 5 of rule XXII).

  (7) Call of committees on Wednesdays for bills on House and Union 
Calendars (clause 7 of rule XXIV).

  (8) Private business on Tuesday (clause 6 of rule XXIV).

  (9) Motions on the second and fourth Mondays of the month to discharge 
committees on public bills and resolutions (clause 3 of rule XXVII), and 
consideration of District of Columbia business (clause 8 of rule XXIV; 
IV, 3304).

  (10) Consideration of bills on the former Consent Calendar (clause 4 
of rule XIII), and motions to suspend the rules and pass bills out of 
the regular order (clause 1 of rule XXVII; V, 6790).

  (11) Bills coming over from a previous day with the previous question 
ordered (V, 5510-5517).

  (12) Bills returned with the objections of the President (IV, 3534-
3536).

  (13) Motions to send a bill to conference (under clause 1 of rule XX; 
Aug. 1, 1972, p. 26153).

  In addition to these matters, the House by practice permits its order 
of business to be interrupted, at the discretion of the Speaker, for the 
reception of messages (V, 6602). Addressing the House out of order by 
unanimous consent, the Speaker announced that on at least two subsequent 
days he would recognize designated Members after approval of the Journal 
to lead the House in the pledge of allegiance to the flag (Speaker 
Wright, Sept. 9, 1988, p. 23310). Requests of Members for leaves of 
absence are in practice put before the House at the time of adjournment 
(IV, 3151).


[[Page 694]]
suspend the order of business temporarily (IV, 3059). Therefore any 
Member, including the Speaker, may object, or reserve the right to 
object and inquire, for example, about the reasons for the request, or 
demand the ``regular order'' (IV, 3058). Debate under a reservation of 
objection proceeds at the sufferance of the House and may not continue 
after a demand for the regular order (Speaker Foley, Nov. 14, 1991, p. 
----). A Member objecting to a unanimous consent request or demanding 
the regular order when another has reserved the right to object must 
stand to be observed by the Chair (Nov. 7, 1991, p. ----; June 23, 1992, 
p. ----). The Speaker, however, usually signifies his objection by 
declining to put the request of the Member, thus saving the time of the 
House. The Speaker's guidelines for recognition for unanimous consent 
requests for consideration of unreported measures are issued pursuant to 
clause 2 of rule XIV and are discussed in Sec. 757, supra. The request 
for unanimous consent began to be used about 1832 when the House first 
felt a pressure of business and the necessity of adhering to a fixed 
order (IV, 3155-3159). In 1909, by the adoption of clause 4 of rule 
XIII, a Consent Calendar was established, which was abolished in the 
104th Congress (H. Res. 168, June 20, 1995, p. ----). For discussion of 
unanimous consent requests and reservations of objections, see 
Procedure, ch. 23, sec. 2, and Sec. 757, supra. Unanimous consent for 
the immediate consideration of a measure in the House does not preclude 
a demand for a record vote when the Chair puts the question on final 
passage, since it merely permits consideration of a matter not otherwise 
privileged (Dec. 16, 1987, p. 35816).

<>   2. 
Business on the Speaker's table shall be disposed of as follows:    
Messages from the President shall be referred to the appropriate 
committees without debate. Reports and communications from heads of 
departments, and other communications addressed to the House, and bills, 
resolutions, and messages from the Senate may be referred to the 
appropriate committees in the same manner and with the same right of 
correction as public bills presented by Members; but House bills with 
Senate amendments which do not require consideration in a Committee of 
the Whole may be at once disposed of as the House may determine, as may 
also Senate bills sub

[[Page 695]]
stantially the same as House bills already favorably reported by a 
committee of the House, and not required to be considered in Committee 
of the Whole, be disposed of in the same manner on motion directed to be 
made by such committee.



Sec. 881. The interruption of the order of business 
by the request for unanimous consent.

  When the  House has no rule establishing 
an order of business, as at the beginning of a session before the 
adoption of rules, it is in order for any Member who is recognized by 
the Chair to offer a proposition relating to the order of business 
without asking consent of the House (IV, 3060). But after the adoption 
of the rule for the order of business, interruptions are confined to 
matters privileged to interrupt or to cases wherein the House gives 
unanimous consent for an interruption. A request for unanimous consent 
to consider a bill is in effect a request to 


  A rule to govern disposition of business on the Speaker's table (to be 
distinguished from the table of the House, which is the Clerk's table) 
was adopted in 1832. In 1880 and 1885 efforts were made to so modify the 
rule as to prevent delays in business on the Speaker's table, but it was 
not until 1890 that the present rule was adopted (IV, 3089).


[[Page 696]]
of Senate amendments at the Speaker's table (Apr. 26, 1984, p. 10194; 
Feb. 4, 1987, p. 2676) discussed in Sec. 757, supra. A Senate bill to 
come before the House directly from the table must conform to the 
conditions prescribed by the rule (IV, 3098, 3099; VI, 727, 734, 737), 
and must have come to the House after and not before the House bill 
``substantially the same'' has been placed on the House Calendar (IV, 
3096; VI, 727, 736, 738). In the event the House bill has passed before 
the Senate bill is received, the Senate bill may nevertheless be 
disposed of on motion directed by the committee (VI, 734, 735). The 
House bill must be correctly on the House Calendar (VI, 736). In 
determining whether the House bill is substantially the same as the 
Senate bill, amendments recommended by the House committee must be 
considered (VI, 734, 736). The rule applies to private as well as to 
public Senate bills (IV, 3101), and to concurrent resolutions as well as 
to bills (IV, 3097). Although a committee must authorize the calling up 
of the Senate bill (VI, 739), the actual motion need not be made by one 
of the committee (IV, 3100). The authority of a committee to call up a 
bill must be given at a formal meeting of the committee (VIII, 2211, 
2212, 2222).


Sec. 883. Matters on Speaker's table for action by the 
House or by the Speaker alone.

  Such  portions of messages from the Senate as 
require action by the House, all messages from the President except 
those transmitting his objections to bills (IV, 3534-3536), and all 
communications and reports from the heads of departments go to the 
Speaker's table when received, to be disposed of under this rule. Simple 
resolutions of the Senate that do not require any action by the House 
are not referred (VII, 1048). All of the President's messages and such 
portions of Senate messages as, being House bills with Senate 
amendments, do not require consideration in Committee of the Whole are 
laid before the House for action; but communications other than messages 
from the President, all portions of Senate messages requiring 
consideration in Committee of the Whole (IV, 3101), and Senate bills of 
all kinds (with the exception noted in the rule) are referred to the 
appropriate standing committees under direction of the Speaker without 
action by the House (IV, 3107, 3111; VI, 727). A House bill returned 
with Senate amendments involving a new matter of appropriation, whether 
with or without a request for a conference, may be referred directly to 
a standing committee (VI, 731), and on being reported therefrom is 
referred directly to the Committee of the Whole (IV, 3094, 3095, 3108-
3110). The usual practice, however, is to take from the Speaker's table 
and send to conference by unanimous consent (VI, 732). The Speaker's 
authority under this clause includes the discretionary authority to 
refer from the Speaker's table Senate amendments to House passed bills, 
to standing committees, under any conditions permitted under clause 5 of 
rule X for referral of introduced bills; he may for example impose a 
time limitation for consideration only of a portion of the Senate 
amendment, not germane to the original House bill, by the standing 
committee with subject-matter jurisdiction, without referring the 
remainder of the Senate amendment to the House committee with 
jurisdiction over the original House bill (Speaker O'Neill, H.R. 31, 
Mar. 26, 1981, p. 5397). The Speaker announced his policy regarding 
referral of nongermane Senate amendments to committee (Jan. 3, 1983, p. 
54; Jan. 6, 1987, p. 21); and his policy regarding recognition for 
unanimous consent requests to dispose 





Sec. 884. Reference of President's messages from the 
Speaker's table.

  A  message of the President on the Speaker's table is 
regularly laid before the House only at the time prescribed by the order 
of business (V, 6635-6638). While it is always read in full and entered 
on the Journal and the Congressional Record (V, 6963), the accompanying 
documents are not read on demand of a Member or entered in the Journal 
or Record (V, 5267-5271; VII, 1108). The annual message of the President 
is usually referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
the Union by the House on motion (V, 6631). In the earlier practice it 
was distributed to appropriate standing committees by resolutions 
reported from the Committee on Ways and Means (V, 6621, 6622) but since 
the first session of the 64th Congress the practice has been 
discontinued (VIII, 3350). A portion of the annual message has been 
referred directly to a select committee (V, 6628). A message other than 
an annual message is usually referred directly to a standing committee 
by direction of the Speaker (IV, 4053; VIII, 3346), but may be referred 
by the House itself on motion by a Member (V, 6631; VIII, 3348), and 
such motion is privileged (VIII, 3348). This reference may be to a 
select as well as to a standing committee (V, 6633, 6634).



[[Page 697]]
after until disposed of, and the consideration of all other unfinished 
business shall be resumed whenever the class of business to which it 
belongs shall be in order under the rules.



Sec. 885. Unfinished business.

  3. The  consideration of the 
unfinished business in which the House may be engaged at an adjournment, 
except business in the morning hour, shall be resumed as soon as the 
business on the Speaker's table is finished, and at the same time each 
day there


  The first rule relating to unfinished business was adopted in 1794. 
Changes were made in 1860 and 1880, but the rule finally became 
unsatisfactory, because of delays caused by it, and in 1890 the present 
form was adopted (IV, 3112).



Sec. 886. Construction of rule as to unfinished 
business.

  The ``business  in which the House may be engaged at an adjournment'' means, 
literally, business in the House, as distinguished from the Committee of 
the Whole; and it further means business in which the House is engaged 
in its general legislative time, as distinguished from the special 
periods set aside for classes of business, like the morning hour for 
calls of committee, Tuesdays for private bills, etc. In general, all 
business unfinished in the general legislative time goes over as 
unfinished business under the rule, but there are a few exceptions. 
Thus, a motion relating to the order of business does not recur as 
unfinished business on a succeeding day, even though the yeas and nays 
may have been ordered on it (IV, 3114). The question of consideration, 
also, when not disposed of at an adjournment, does not recur as 
unfinished business on a succeeding day (V, 4947, 4948), but may be 
again raised on a subsequent day when the matter is again called up as 
unfinished business (VIII, 2438). Where the House adjourns during the 
consideration of a report from the Committee on Rules, further 
consideration of the report becomes the unfinished business on the 
following day, and debate resumes from the point where interrupted 
(Sept. 27, 1993, p. ----; Sept. 28, 1993, p. ----).



[[Page 698]]



Sec. 887. Effect of previous question.

  When the  House 
adjourns before voting on a proposition on which the previous question 
has been ordered, either directly or by the terms of a special order 
(IV, 3185), the matter comes up the next day as unfinished business (V, 
5510-5517; VIII, 2691; Aug. 2, 1989, p. 18187). If several bills come 
over in this situation, they have precedence in the order in which the 
several motions for the previous question were made (V, 5518). When the 
previous question is ordered on a bill undisposed of at adjournment on 
Friday, the bill comes up for disposition on the next legislative day 
(VIII, 2694). A bill going over from Calendar Wednesday with the 
previous question ordered on it should be disposed of on the next 
legislative day (VII, 967), but when the previous question is ordered on 
a bill undisposed of when the House adjourns Tuesday, the bill goes over 
until Thursday (VII, 890-894; VIII, 2674, 2691). A bill coming over from 
a preceding day with the previous question ordered was of equal 
privilege with business on the former Consent Calendar (VII, 990).




Sec. 888. Business unfinished in periods set apart 
for classes of business.

  The rule  excepts by its terms certain classes of 
business which are considered in periods set apart for classes of 
business, viz: l  (a) Bills considered in the morning hour and on 
Calendar Wednesday for the call of committees. l  (b) Bills in Committee 
of the Whole.


  (c) Private bills considered on Tuesdays.

  (d) District of Columbia bills.

  (e) Bills brought up under the rule setting apart days for motions to 
suspend the rules, the Corrections Calendar, motions to discharge 
committees, and bills under consideration after a committee has been 
discharged.

  A bill brought up in the morning hour and undisposed of when the call 
ceases for the day remains as unfinished business in the morning hour 
(IV, 3113, 3120), i.e., it is considered when the House next goes to a 
call of committees. Business unfinished when the Committee of the Whole 
rises remains unfinished, to be considered first in order when the House 
next goes into Committee of the Whole to consider that business (IV, 
4735, 4736). Private bills unfinished on a Tuesday go over to the next 
Tuesday, and must be considered before the motion to go into Committee 
of the Whole House to consider other private bills. But when public 
business is considered on a Tuesday the unfinished business goes over 
until the next legislative day.


  On District of Columbia day business unfinished on the preceding 
District day is in order for consideration, but does not come before the 
House unless called up (IV, 3307; VII, 879). Unless postponed under 
clause 5 of rule I, a motion to suspend the rules on which a second has 
been ordered, and which is undisposed of on one suspension day, goes 
over as unfinished business to the next suspension day, individual 
motions going over to a committee day, and vice versa (V, 6814-6816; 
VII, 1005; VIII, 3411, 3412). Where the second has not been ordered, 
there is doubt as to whether or not the motion goes over as unfinished 
business (V, 6817, 6818).


[[Page 699]]
sideration: Provided, That whenever any committee shall have occupied 
the morning hour on two days, it shall not be in order to call up any 
other bill until the other committees have been called in their turn.



Sec. 889. The morning hour for the call of 
committees.

  4. After the  unfinished business has been disposed of, the Speaker 
shall call each standing committee in regular order, and then select 
committees, and each committee when named may call up for consideration 
any bill reported by it on a previous day and on the House Calendar, and 
if the Speaker shall not complete the call of the Committees before the 
House passes to other business, he shall resume the next call where he 
left off, giving preference to the last bill under con


  The ``morning hour'' is one of the oldest devices of the rules for 
devoting an early portion of the session to a specific class of 
business. Until 1885 it was the hour for the reception of reports from 
committees. In 1890 it was provided that reports should be filed with 
the clerk, and the morning hour was by this rule devoted to a call of 
committees for the consideration of House Calendar bills (IV, 3181). 
Since the adoption of the Calendar Wednesday rule (clause 7 of rule 
XXIV), the ``morning hour'' has been used but a very few times.



[[Page 700]]



Sec. 890. Procedure in the morning 
hour.

  Originally the  morning hour was a fixed period of sixty minutes (IV, 3118); but 
under the present rules (clause 4 of rule XXIV) it does not terminate 
until the call is exhausted or until the House adjourns (IV, 3119), 
unless the House on motion made at the end of sixty minutes votes to go 
into Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union (clause 5 of 
rule XXIV; IV, 3134), or unless other privileged matter intervenes (IV, 
3131, 3132). Before the expiration of the sixty minutes the Speaker has 
declined to permit the call to be interrupted by a privileged report 
(IV, 3132) or by unanimous consent (IV, 3130). Where the business for 
which the call is interrupted is concluded, the call is resumed unless 
there be other interrupting business or the House adjourns (IV, 3133). A 
bill once brought up on the call continues before the House in that 
order of business until disposed of (IV, 3120), unless withdrawn by 
authority of the committee before action which puts it in possession of 
the House (IV, 3129); and may not be made a special order for a future 
day by a motion to postpone to a day certain (IV, 3164). In order to be 
called up in this order a bill must actually be on the House Calendar, 
and properly there, in order to be considered (IV, 3122-3126), and a 
bill on the Union Calendar may not be brought up on call of committees 
under this clause (VI, 753). In case the authority of the committee to 
call up a bill is disputed the Speaker does not consider it his duty to 
decide the question (IV, 3127), but has made decision on statements from 
the chairman and other members of the committee (IV, 3128).





Sec. 891. Interruption of the call of committees by 
motion to go into Committee of the Whole House on the state of the 
Union.

  5. After  one hour shall have been devoted to the consideration of bills 
called up by committees, it shall be in order, pending consideration or 
discussion thereof, to entertain a motion to go into Committee of the 
Whole House on the state of the Union, or, when authorized by a 
committee, to go into the Committee of the Whole House on the state of 
the Union to consider a particular bill, to which motion one amendment 
only, designating another bill, may be made; and if either motion be 
determined in the negative, it shall not be in order to make either 
motion again until the disposal of the matter under consideration or 
discussion.


  This portion of the rule was adopted in 1890 as part of the plan for 
enabling the House at will to go at any time to any public bill on its 
calendars (IV, 3134).



[[Page 701]]



Sec. 892. Conditions of the motion to go into 
Committee of the Whole at the end of one hour.

  The words  of the rule ``one hour 
after'' have been interpreted to mean a less time in case the call of 
committees shall have exhausted itself before the expiration of one hour 
(IV, 3135); but not otherwise (IV, 3141). After the House has been in 
Committee of the Whole under this order and has risen and reported, and 
the report has been acted on by the House, other motions to go into 
committee to consider other bills are in order (IV, 3136). The motion to 
go into committee generally may be made by the individual Member (IV, 
3138), but when it is proposed to designate a particular bill he must 
have the authority of a committee (IV, 3138). The amendment to the 
motion to consider a particular bill must refer to a bill on the Union 
Calendar (IV, 3139). This order of business is used entirely for non-
privileged bills and is not used in the House for consideration of bills 
in Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union if otherwise 
privileged (such as general appropriation bills and revenue bills, which 
have priority for consideration under clause 9 of rule XVI, and bills 
reported under the leave to report to the House at any time pursuant to 
clause 4(a) of rule XI).




Sec. 893. Interruption of the regular order on 
Tuesdays for consideration of the Private Calendar.

  6. On the  first Tuesday of 
each month after disposal of such business on the Speaker's table as 
requires reference only, the Speaker shall direct the Clerk to call the 
bills and resolutions on the Private Calendar. Should objection be made 
by two or more Members to the consideration of any bill or resolution so 
called, it shall be recommitted to the committee which reported the bill 
or resolution, and no reservation of objection shall be entertained by 
the Speaker. Such bills and resolutions, if considered, shall be 
considered in the House as in the Committee of the Whole. No other 
business shall be in order on this day unless the House, by two-thirds 
vote on motion to dispense therewith, shall otherwise determine. On such 
motion debate shall be limited to five minutes for and five minutes 
against said motion.



[[Page 702]]
reported the bill or resolution and no reservation of objection shall 
be entertained by the Speaker.
  On the third Tuesday of each month after the disposal of such business 
on the Speaker's table as requires reference only, the Speaker may 
direct the Clerk to call the bills and resolutions on the Private 
Calendar, preference to be given to omnibus bills containing bills or 
resolutions which have previously been objected to on a call of the 
Private Calendar. All bills and resolutions on the Private Calendar so 
called, if considered, shall be considered in the House as in the 
Committee of the Whole. Should objection be made by two or more members 
to the consideration of any bill or resolution other than an omnibus 
bill, it shall be recommitted to the committee which 

  Omnibus bills shall be read for amendment by paragraph, and no 
amendment shall be in order except to strike out or to reduce amounts of 
money stated or to provide limitations. Any item or matter stricken from 
an omnibus bill shall not thereafter during the same session of Congress 
be included in any omnibus bill.

  Upon passage of any such omnibus bill, said bill shall be resolved 
into the several bills and resolutions of which it is composed, and such 
original bills and resolutions, with any amendments adopted by the 
House, shall be engrossed, where necessary, and proceedings thereon had 
as if said bills and resolutions had been passed in the House severally.


  In the consideration of any omnibus bill the proceedings as set forth 
above shall have the same force and effect as if each Senate and House 
bill or resolution therein contained or referred to were considered by 
the House as a separate and distinct bill or resolution.



Sec. 894. Tuesday as a day for private 
business.

  This  provision was adopted in the 62d Congress in lieu of special 
orders under which pension and private business formerly had been 
considered. The rule was amended on April 23, 1932 (VII, 846) and was 
adopted in its present form on March 27, 1935, pp. 4480-89, 4538. Clause 
2 of rule XXII prohibits consideration of certain private bills. Under 
clause 6(e)(2) of rule XV, the Speaker may in his discretion recognize a 
Member to move a call of the House prior to the call of the Private 
Calendar (July 8, 1987, p. 18972).



[[Page 703]]
the five-minute rule are not entertained (Speaker Byrns, Mar. 17, 1936, 
pp. 3890, 3894-95).


Sec. 895. Methods of considering omnibus 
bills.

  During the  consideration of omnibus bills the Chair declines to recognize 
Members for unanimous consent requests to address the House, (Speaker 
pro tempore O'Connor, May 7, 1935, p. 7100); motions to strike out the 
last word are not in order, and requests for extension of time under 


  An omnibus private bill is normally passed over by the Clerk when the 
Private Calendar is called on the first Tuesday of the month, but the 
House may prescribe, by special order, that such omnibus bills shall be 
passed over (June 27, 1968, p. 19106). During the consideration of the 
First Omnibus Bill of 1968, seven roll calls occurred and seven of the 
15 bills carried therein were stricken by motion (Sept. 17, 1968, pp. 
27165-84). Amendments to the bill were strictly limited by the rule to 
those striking out or reducing amounts of money carried in the bill or 
to provide limitations, and debate on those permissible motions was 
under the five-minute rule. After the passage of an omnibus bill, it is 
resolved into the various private bills of which it is composed and each 
is engrossed and messaged to the Senate as if individually passed; thus 
it is possible, after passage of the omnibus bill, to lay on the table a 
private House or Senate bill which was included therein (by unanimous 
consent) (Sept. 17, 1968, pp. 27184-85).


  On the third Tuesday of the month, the calendar is not called unless 
the Speaker so directs (Oct. 16, 1990, p. ----); and when he does direct 
the Clerk to call the Private Calendar, omnibus bills on the Calendar 
are called before individual bills thereon (Feb. 17, 1970, pp. 3605-13). 
A motion to dispense with the call of the Private Calendar on the third 
Tuesday of each month, when the call of the Calendar is within the 
discretion of the Chair, is likewise in order in the Chair's discretion 
(although this clause only specifically provides for a motion to 
dispense with the call on the first Tuesday of each month), since no 
rule or precedent prohibits the motion and it is consistent with the 
discretionary authority of the Chair to dispense with the call of the 
entire Calendar (appeal from the Chair's ruling laid on the table) (Nov. 
17, 1981, pp. 27770-71).


[[Page 704]]
the Whole House on the state of the Union. This rule shall not apply 
during the last two weeks of the session. It shall not be in order for 
the Speaker to entertain a motion for a recess on any Wednesday except 
during the last two weeks of the session: Provided, That not more than 
two hours of general debate shall be permitted on any measure called up 
on Calendar Wednesday, and all debate must be confined to the subject 
matter of the bill, the time to be equally divided between those for and 
against the bill: Provided further, That whenever any committee shall 
have occupied one Wednesday it shall not be in order, unless the House 
by a two-thirds vote shall otherwise determine, to consider any 
unfinished business previously called up by such committee, unless the 
previous question had been ordered thereon, upon any succeeding 
Wednesday until the other committees have been called in their turn 
under this rule: Provided, That when, during any one session of a 
Congress, all of the committees of the House are not called under the 
Calendar Wednesday rule, at the next session of that Congress the call 
shall commence where it left off at the end of the preceding session.



Sec. 897. Calendar Wednesday business.

  7. On  Wednesday of 
each week no business shall be in order except as provided by clause 4 
of this rule unless the House by a two-thirds vote on motion to dispense 
therewith shall otherwise determine. On such a motion there may be 
debate not to exceed five minutes for and against. On a call of 
committees under this rule bills may be called up from either the House 
or the Union Calendar, excepting bills which are privileged under the 
rules; but bills called up from the Union Calendar shall be considered 
in the Committee of 



[[Page 705]]
gible for consideration on Calendar Wednesday (VII, 932-935). House 
Calendar bills have no preference over Union Calendar bills (VII, 938). 
The motion to dispense with a call of committees under this rule is 
privileged and may be made prior to the consideration of District of 
Columbia business under clause 8 of this rule (June 11, 1973, pp. 19028-
30).


Sec. 898. Decisions on Calendar Wednesday.

  The first  portion 
of this rule was adopted March 1, 1909, and amended March 15, 1909. The 
first and second provisos were adopted January 18, 1916. The last 
proviso was adopted December 8, 1931 (VII, 881), and was amended in the 
102d Congress to specify that the alphabetical call of the committees 
under Calendar Wednesday resumes where left off between sessions within 
a Congress (H. Res. 5, Jan. 3, 1991, p. ----). The rule applies to 
unprivileged bills only, and when a bill otherwise unprivileged is given 
a privileged status by unanimous consent or by rule it is automatically 
rendered ineli


  When a bill on the Union Calendar is called up on Calendar Wednesday 
the House automatically resolves itself into the Committee of the Whole 
House on the state of the Union (VII, 939; Jan. 25, 1984, p. 358), and 
when a Union Calendar bill is the unfinished business the Speaker 
declares the House in Committee of the Whole without motion (VII, 940, 
942).

  The question of consideration may be raised on a bill on the House 
Calendar on Calendar Wednesday, even after one Wednesday has been 
devoted to its consideration (VIII, 2447), and the question of 
consideration is properly raised on Union Calendar bills in the House 
before automatically going into Committee of the Whole House on the 
state of the Union (VII, 952).

  During the 61st and 62d Congresses it was held that the call of 
committees rested where the call left off on the preceding day, whether 
the last call was on a Wednesday or during the morning hour on another 
day, thus making but one committee call under the two rules. But under 
the later practice there have been two distinct calls of committees, one 
under clause 4 of rule XXIV, the morning hour, and another under clause 
7 of rule XXIV, Calendar Wednesday (VII, 944). Prior to the adoption of 
the second paragraph of the rule, it was held that one committee could 
not occupy more than two Calendar Wednesdays (except for unfinished 
business) until other committees were called, notwithstanding the fact 
that the call rested on said committee (VII, 944), but the adoption of 
the second paragraph of the rule has defined the status of debate and 
unfinished business more explicitly. It was formerly held that a bill 
undisposed of on Calendar Wednesday became the unfinished business on 
the following Calendar Wednesday (VII, 965), but since the adoption of 
the second paragraph of the rule, one committee can occupy but one 
Calendar Wednesday for the consideration of its business (unless the 
House by two-thirds vote shall otherwise determine).

  The same rule of debate applies to House Calendar bills called up on 
Calendar Wednesday as on other days, and the Member in charge of the 
bill may move the previous question at any time (VII, 955).

  The previous question having been ordered on a bill undisposed of when 
the House adjourns Tuesday, the bill goes over as unfinished business 
until Thursday, and is not in order for consideration on Calendar 
Wednesday (VII, 890-894). The previous question having been ordered on a 
bill on Calendar Wednesday, the bill becomes the unfinished business on 
Thursday (VII, 895, 967).


[[Page 706]]
appropriation bill (VII, 904), or a bill under consideration by reason 
of a special order, unless the special order expressly sets aside 
Calendar Wednesday (VII, 773), or a conference report (VII, 899). A 
motion to reconsider an action taken on a bill on Tuesday may be 
entered, but may not be considered on Calendar Wednesday (VII, 905). 
Privileged bills may be reported but not considered on Calendar 
Wednesday (VII, 907), except by unanimous consent (Jan. 25, 1984, p. 
357). The Speaker has entertained a unanimous consent request for 
business (to send a bill to conference) before the call of committees on 
Calendar Wednesday (Mar. 28, 1984, p. 6869). District of Columbia 
business is eligible for consideration on Calendar Wednesday (VII, 937). 
Once the call of committees on Calendar Wednesday is completed, other 
business may be conducted (VII, 921).
  It is in order to consider a vetoed bill on Calendar Wednesday, since 
such a question is privileged under the Constitution of the United 
States (VII, 912), but a bill privileged by reason of the rules of the 
House cannot be called up on Calendar Wednesday (VII, 932); for example, 
a general 

  The Committee on Rules cannot report a rule which is aimed strictly or 
directly toward setting aside Calendar Wednesday, but the committee is 
not thereby prevented from reporting a resolution couched in general 
terms which may indirectly accomplish that ultimate result, such as a 
resolution providing for six days' suspension of the rules (VIII, 2267).

  The motion to grant a committee an additional Wednesday under the 
second proviso of the Calendar Wednesday rule is in order prior to the 
Wednesday on which the committee is called (VII, 946).

  It has been held that if no Member opposed to the bill desires to 
claim the hour specified in the rule for general debate against the 
bill, the time may be claimed by some Member who is in favor of the bill 
(VII, 962), but this principle has been questioned (VII, 961).


  Clause 2(l)(1)(A) of rule XI, requiring the chairman of each committee 
to report or cause to be reported promptly measures approved by his 
committee and to take such necessary steps to bring the matter to a 
vote, is sufficient authority for the chairman to call up a bill on 
Calendar Wednesday, but any other committee member must obtain specific 
authority of his committee to call up a reported bill on Calendar 
Wednesday (IV, 3128; VII, 928, 929; Feb. 22, 1950, p. 2162; Feb. 1, 
1984, p. 1193; Sept. 12, 1984, p. 25100). Prior to the Legislative 
Reorganization Act of 1946 and the subsequent adoption of clause 
2(l)(1)(A) of rule XI, authority to call up a bill on Calendar Wednesday 
must have been given to a chairman by his committee (IV, 3127). A Member 
not authorized to do so may not call up such bill under the Calendar 
Wednesday rule (IV, 3128; VII, 928, 929).


[[Page 707]]
form and Oversight, be set apart for the consideration of such business 
relating to the District of Columbia as may be presented by said 
committee.



Sec. 899. District of Columbia.

  8. The  second and fourth 
Mondays in each month, after the disposition of motions to discharge 
committees and after the disposal of such business on the Speaker's 
table as requires reference only, shall, when claimed by the Committee 
on Government Re


  The first rule allocating a fixed day for District of Columbia 
business was adopted in 1870. In 1890 the rule was amended (IV, 3304). 
It was again amended December 8, 1931 (VII, 872). In the 104th Congress 
clause 8 was amended to reflect that the jurisdiction of the former 
Committee on the District of Columbia had been subsumed within the 
amalgamated jurisdiction of the newly designated Committee on Government 
Reform and Oversight (H. Res. 6, Jan. 4, 1995, p. ----).

  The Committee on Government Reform and Oversight may not, on a 
District day, call up a bill reported from another committee (IV, 3311). 
If certain of the committee's bills are on one of the calendars of the 
Committees of the Whole, a motion to go into committee to consider them 
is in order (IV, 3310). Bills reported from the District Committee are 
not so privileged as to prevent their being take up under call of 
committees on Wednesday (VII, 937). Business unfinished on one District 
day does not come up on the next unless called up (IV, 3307; VII, 879, 
880). The question of consideration may not be demanded against District 
business generally, but may be demanded against any bill as it is 
presented (IV, 3308, 3309).




  On District days it is in order to go into the Committee of the Whole 
to consider revenue or general appropriation bills (VI, 716-718; VII, 
876, 1123). Consideration of conference reports is in order on District 
Monday (VIII, 3202). District of Columbia business is in order on the 
second and fourth Mondays of the month before or after other business 
(such as motions to suspend the rules), and the fact that the House has 
considered some District of Columbia business before motions to suspend 
the rules does not affect the eligibility of further such business after 
suspensions have been completed (Sept. 17, 1984, p. 25523).