    [Constitution, Jefferson's Manual, and the Rules of the House of Representatives, 105th Congress]
    [105th Congress]
    [House Document 104-272]
    [Rules of the House of Representatives]
    [Pages 356-358]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

                                   Rule VIII.

                             duties of the members.

    Sec. 656. Members required to be present and vote.

      1.  Every
    Member shall be present within the Hall of the House during its
    sittings, unless excused or necessarily prevented; and shall vote on
    each question put, unless he has a direct <> personal or pecuniary interest in the event of such
    question.

      This clause was adopted in 1789, with amendment in 1890 (V, 5941).

      Leaves of absence are presented pending the motion to adjourn (IV,
    3151), and are usually granted by general consent, but sometimes are
    opposed or even refused (II, 1142-1145). Application for leave of
    absence is properly presented by filing with the Clerk the printed form
    to be secured at the desk rather than by oral request from the floor
    (VI, 199). Whether or not they are privileged is a matter of doubt (II,
    1146, 1147). Excuses for absence, as distinguished from leaves of
    absence, may be granted by less than a quorum (IV, 3000-3002). The
    statutes provide that deductions may be made from the salaries of
    Members who are absent without sufficient excuse (II, 1149, 1150); and
    while this law has been enforced (IV, 3011, footnote; VI, 30, 198), its
    general application is not practical under modern conditions. Form of
    resolution for the arrest of Members absent without leave (VI, 686).

    [[Page 357]]

    a Member of the right to vote (V, 5937, 5952, 5959, 5966, 5967; VIII,
    3072). In one or two early instances the Speaker has decided that
    because of personal interest, a Member should not vote (V, 5955, 5958);
    but on all other occasions and in the later practice the Speaker has
    held that the Member himself and not the Chair should determine this
    question (V, 5950, 5951; VIII, 3071; Speaker Albert, Dec. 2, 1975, p.
    38135; Speaker O'Neill, Mar. 1, 1979, p. 3748; July 30, 1996, p. ----),
    and the Speaker has denied his own power to deprive a Member of the
    constitutional right to vote (V, 5956; Speaker Albert, Dec. 2, 1975, p.
    38135; Speaker O'Neill, Mar. 1, 1979, p. 3748). Members may not vote in
    the House by proxy (VII, 1014). Instance where a Member submitted his
    resignation from a committee on grounds of disqualifying personal
    interest (VIII, 3074).

    Sec. 658. Member's control of his own vote.

      It  has been
    found impracticable to enforce the provision requiring every Member to
    vote (V, 5942-5948), and such question, even if entertained, may not
    interrupt a pending rollcall vote (V, 5947). The weight of authority
    also favors the idea that there is no authority in the House to deprive

      The House has frequently excused Members from voting in cases of
    personal interest (III, 2294; V, 5962; Aug. 2, 1949, pp. 10591, 10592;
    Oct. 20, 1951, p. 13746; July 21, 1954, p. 11262; July 28, 1955, p.
    11930; July 12, 1956, p. 12566).

    Sec. 659. Nature of disqualifying personal interest.

      It  is a
    principle of ``immemorial observance'' that a Member should withdraw
    when a question concerning himself arises (V, 5949); but it has been
    held that the disqualifying interest must be such as affects the Member
    directly (V, 5954, 5955, 5963), and not as one of a class (V, 5952;
    VIII, 3071, 3072; Speaker Bankhead, May 31, 1939, pp. 6359-60; Speaker
    Albert, Dec. 2, 1975, p. 38135). In a case where question affected the
    titles of several Members to their seats, each refrained from voting in
    his own case, but did vote on the identical cases of his associates (V,
    5957, 5958). And while a Member should not vote on the direct questions
    affecting himself, he has sometimes voted on incidental questions (V,
    5960, 5961).

    Sec. 660a. Pairs.

      2.  Pairs shall be announced by the Clerk
    immediately before the announcement by the Chair of the result of the
    vote, by the House or Committee of the Whole from a written list
    furnished him, and signed by the Member making the statement to the
    Clerk, which list shall be published in the Record as a part of the
    proceedings, immediately following the names of those not voting.
    However, pairs shall be announced but once during the same legislative
    day.

    [[Page 358]]

    of electronic voting in the 93d Congress (H. Res. 1123,
    Oct. 13, 1972, pp. 36005-12). This clause was amended in the 94th
    Congress (H. Res. 5, Jan. 14, 1975, p. 20) to permit pairs to be
    announced in the Committee of the Whole.
      This clause was adopted in 1880, although the practice of pairing had
    then existed in the House for many years (V, 5981). The language of the
    clause was slightly altered by amendment in 1972 to reflect the
    installation

      Pairs may not be announced at a time other than that prescribed by the
    rule (V, 6046), and the voting intentions of an absent Member may not
    otherwise be announced by a colleague (VIII, 3151). Prior to the 94th
    Congress pairs were not permitted in Committee of the Whole (V, 5984;
    Speaker Albert, Jan. 15, 1973, p. 1054). The House does not consider
    questions arising out of the breaking of a pair (V, 5982, 5983, 6095;
    VIII, 3082, 3085, 3087-3089, 3093), or permit a Member to vote after the
    call on the plea that he had refrained because of misunderstanding as to
    a pair (V, 6080, 6081). Discussion of the origin of the practice of
    pairing in the House and Senate (VIII, 3076). On questions requiring a
    two-thirds majority Members are paired two in the affirmative against
    one in the negative (VIII, 3088; Nov. 15, 1983, p. 32685). For Speaker
    Clark's interpretation of the rule and practice of the House of
    Representatives as to pairs, see VIII, 3089.

    Sec. 660b. Voting.

      3.  (a) A Member may not authorize any
    other individual to cast his vote or record his presence in the House or
    Committee of the Whole.

      (b) No individual other than a Member may cast a vote or record a
    Member's presence in the House or Committee of the Whole.

      (c) A Member may not cast a vote for any other Member or record
    another Member's presence in the House or Committee of the Whole.

      Clause 3 was added in the 97th Congress (H. Res. 5, Jan. 5, 1981, pp.
    98-113). The Committee on Standards of Official Conduct recommended this
    addition to the rules in its May 15, 1980, report (H. Rept. 96-991) on
    voting anomalies which had occurred in the House. Even prior to the
    addition of this clause, however, ``ghost voting'' was considered
    unethical (VII, 1014; Dec. 18, 1987, p. 36274).