[Constitution, Jefferson's Manual, and the Rules of the House of Representatives, 111th Congress]
[111st Congress]
[House Document 110-162]
[Front Matter]
[Pages i-xiii]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


[[Page i]]

110th Congress, 2d Session -  -  -  -  -  - - House Document No. 110-162

________________________________________________________________________
 

                              CONSTITUTION


                           JEFFERSON'S MANUAL


                                   AND


                          RULES OF THE HOUSE OF


                             REPRESENTATIVES


                          OF THE UNITED STATES


                      ONE HUNDRED ELEVENTH CONGRESS


                            JOHN V. SULLIVAN


[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TONGRESS.#13


                             PARLIAMENTARIAN


                     U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE


            50-600


________________________________________________________________________

 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing 
            WASHINGTON : 2009


                                 Office


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                          Washington, DC 20402


                          HOUSE RESOLUTION 1513

                            In the House of Representatives, U.S.,      

                                                   September 27, 2008.  

    Resolved, That a revised edition of the Rules and Manual of the 
House of Representatives for the One Hundred Eleventh Congress be 
printed as a House document, and that three thousand additional copies 
shall be printed and bound for the use of the House of Representatives, 
of which nine hundred copies shall be bound in leather with thumb index 
and delivered as may be directed by the Parliamentarian of the House.

    Attest:

                                               Lorraine C. Miller,      


                                                                Clerk.  


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                                  (III)


                              P R E F A C E

    The House Rules and Manual contains the fundamental source material 
for parliamentary procedure used in the House of Representatives: the 
Constitution of the United States; applicable provisions of Jefferson's 
Manual; Rules of the House (as of the date of this preface); provisions 
of law and resolutions having the force of Rules of the House; and 
pertinent decisions of the Speakers and other presiding officers of the 
House and Committee of the Whole interpreting the rules and other 
procedural authority used in the House of Representatives.

    The rules for the One Hundred Eleventh Congress were adopted on 
January 6, 2009, when the House agreed to House Resolution 5. In 
addition to a series of changes to various standing rules, House 
Resolution 5 included separate free-standing orders constituting 
procedures to be followed in the One Hundred Eleventh Congress. 
Explanations of the changes to the standing rules appear in the 
annotations following each rule in the text of this Manual.

    In the One Hundred Sixth Congress, the House adopted a 
recodification of the Rules of the House. For an explanation of the 
recodified format, see the Preface and other introductory matter for the 
House Rules and Manual for the One Hundred Sixth Congress (H. Doc. 105-
358).

    The substantive changes in the standing rules made by House 
Resolution 5 of the 111th Congress included:

    (1) modification of the audit responsibilities of the Inspector 
General (clause 6(c) of rule II);

    (2) enhancement of the oversight jurisdiction of the Committee on 
Homeland Security (clause 3(g) of rule X);

    (3) oversight of the services of the Architect of the Capitol by the 
Committee on House Administration (clause 4(d) of rule X);

    (4) elimination of committee chair tenure limitation generally, with 
exceptional treatment for the Committee on the Budget (clause 5 of rule 
X);


[[Page vi]]

    (5) requirement for committees to request their call on Calendar 
Wednesday, and elimination of the restriction on the ability of the 
Committee on Rules to report a rule dispensing with the call (clause 6 
of rule XV; clause 6 of rule XIII);

    (6) authority for the Chair to postpone proceedings notwithstanding 
the operation of the previous question pursuant to a special order of 
business (clause 1 of rule XIX);

    (7) restriction on permissible instructions in a motion to recommit 
to those proposing an amendment or amendments reported forthwith, and 
rendering certain motions to recommit without instructions debatable 
(clause 2 of rule XIX);

    (8) repeal of policy on holding electronic votes open for the sole 
purpose of reversing the outcome of such votes (clause 2(a) of rule XX);

    (9) prohibition against the consideration of general appropriation 
conference reports in the absence of proper disclosure of congressional 
earmarks, limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits, and against 
consideration of a rule or order waiving such prohibition (clause 9 of 
rule XXI);

    (10) with regard to the prohibition on consideration of certain 
measures containing direct spending and revenues reducing a surplus or 
increasing a deficit, (1) modification of the pertinent time periods for 
calculating such effect, (2) cumulation of such calculation in the case 
of a special order of business combining in one engrossment separately-
passed measures, and (3) exclusion from such calculation of certain 
emergency items (clause 10 of rule XXI); and

    (11) application to all Members of the requirement to disclose 
certain employment negotiations (clause 1 of rule XXVII).

    In addition to the amendments cited above, gender-based references 
throughout the standing rules were eliminated or replaced with gender-
neutral language (sec. 2(l), H. Res. 5, Jan. 6, 2009, p. _), clause 2 of 
rule XI was amended to require committees to hold certain hearings 
regarding waste, fraud, or abuse in certain federal programs, and clause 
1(d)(3) of rule XI was amended to require committee activity reports to 
include such hearings (H. Res. 40, 111th Cong., Jan. 14, 2009, p. _), 
and clause 11(a)(1) of rule X was amended to increase the size and ratio 
of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (H. Res. 97, 111th 
Cong., Jan. 28, 2009, p. _).

    Citations in this edition refer to:


[[Page vii]]

States (volumes VI through VIII), by volume and section (e.g., V, 5763; 
VIII, 2852);
    (1) Hinds' Precedents of the House of Representatives of the United 
States (volumes I through V) and Cannon's Precedents of the House of 
Representatives of the United

    (2) Deschler's Precedents of the U.S. House of Representatives 
(volumes 1 through 9) and the Deschler-Brown Precedents of the U.S. 
House of Representatives (volumes 10 through 16), by chapter and section 
(e.g., Deschler, ch. 26, Sec. 79.7; Deschler-Brown, ch. 28, Sec. 4.26);

    (3) the Congressional Record, by date and page (e.g., Jan. 29, 1986, 
p. 684);

    (4) House Practice (2003), by chapter and section (e.g., House 
Practice, ch. 1, Sec. 2);

    (5) Deschler-Brown Procedure in the U.S. House of Representatives 
(4th edition and 1987 supplement), by chapter and section (e.g., 
Procedure, ch. 5, Sec. 8.1);

    (6) the United States Code, by title and section (e.g., 2 U.S.C. 
287); and

    (7) the United States Reports, by volume and page (e.g., 395 U.S. 
486).

    Readers are invited to refer to the prefaces of Hinds', Cannon's, 
and Deschler's Precedents (Volumes I, VI, and 1, respectively) for 
comprehensive overviews by those editors of the procedural history of 
the House of Representatives from 1789 to 1976.

    All of the members of the Office of the Parliamentarian -- Tom 
Wickham, Ethan Lauer, Carrie Wolf, Max Spitzer, Jay Smith, Liz 
Woodworth, Gay Topper, Brian Cooper, Lloyd Jenkins, and Monica 
Rodriguez, as well as Charles Johnson, Bob Cover, Deborah Khalili, Bryan 
Feldblum, and Andrew Neal -- worked diligently to annotate the decisions 
of the Chair and other parliamentary precedents of the 110th Congress 
and of the 111th Congress to the date of publication of this edition. 
Their contributions, and their devotion to the pursuit of excellence in 
the procedural practices of the House, are gratefully acknowledged. 
Particular appreciation goes to Ethan Lauer for his initiative and 
resourcefulness in managing the project and to Tom Wickham for his 
operational leadership.


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House: Asher Hinds, Clarence Cannon, Lewis Deschler, William Holmes 
Brown, and Charles Johnson.

    It is appropriate from time to time to express gratitude for the 
wealth of recorded precedent that guides the procedural practices of the 
House. Although the continual refinement of written rules and the 
endless ingenuity of legislative practitioners yield questions of first 
impression more frequently than one might expect, even more remarkable 
is how regularly the right answer to a procedural question is readily 
supplied in the work of our predecessors in compiling the parliamentary 
precedents of the

                                                      John V. Sullivan  




[[Page ix]]



  June 16, 2009


                             C O N T E N T S


                               __________

                            THE CONSTITUTION

                                                                    Page
Preamble..........................................................     3

            Article I.--The legislative power.....................     4

                   II.--The executive power.......................    65

                  III.--The judicial power........................    77

                   IV.--Obligations, duties, etc., of the States..    79

                    V.--Amendments to.............................    81

                   VI.--Law of the land, etc......................    83

                  VII.--Ratification of...........................    87

                        Amendments ratified.......................    90

                           JEFFERSON'S MANUAL

            Section I.--Importance of adhering to rules...........   125

                  III.--Privilege.................................   128

                   VI.--Quorum....................................   147

                  VII.--Call of the House.........................   148

                   IX.--Speaker...................................   149

                    X.--Address...................................   151

                   XI.--Committees................................   152

                  XII.--Committee of the Whole....................   155

                 XIII.--Examination of witnesses..................   164

                  XIV.--Arrangement of business...................   169

                   XV.--Order.....................................   171

                  XVI.--Order respecting papers...................   171

                 XVII.--Order in debate...........................   172

                XVIII.--Orders of the House.......................   193

                  XIX.--Petition..................................   197

                   XX.--Motion....................................   198

                  XXI.--Resolutions...............................   199

                XXIII.--Bills, leave to bring in..................   201

                 XXIV.--Bills, first reading......................   201

                  XXV.--Bills, second reading.....................   202

                 XXVI.--Bills, commitment.........................   203


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                XXVII.--Report of committee.......................   213

                                                                    Page

       Section XXVIII.--Bill, recommitment........................   214

                 XXIX.--Bills, reports taken up...................   216

                  XXX.--Quasi-committee...........................   217

                 XXXI.--Bill, second reading in the House.........   221

                XXXII.--Reading papers............................   223

               XXXIII.--Privileged questions......................   225

                XXXIV.--The previous question.....................   238

                 XXXV.--Amendments................................   240

                XXXVI.--Division of the question..................   249

               XXXVII.--Coexisting questions......................   252

              XXXVIII.--Equivalent questions......................   253

                XXXIX.--The question..............................   255

                   XL.--Bills, third reading......................   256

                  XLI.--Division of the House.....................   260

                 XLII.--Titles....................................   266

                XLIII.--Reconsideration...........................   266

                 XLIV.--Bills sent to the other House.............   269

                  XLV.--Amendments between the Houses.............   270

                 XLVI.--Conferences...............................   280

                XLVII.--Messages..................................   293

               XLVIII.--Assent....................................   298

                 XLIX.--Journals..................................   300

                    L.--Adjournment...............................   302

                   LI.--A session.................................   304

                  LII.--Treaties..................................   307

                 LIII.--Impeachment...............................   311

                           RULES OF THE HOUSE

               Rule I.--The Speaker...............................   331

                   II.--Other Officers and Officials..............   352

                  III.--The Members, Delegates, and Resident 

                        Commissioner of Puerto Rico...............   372

                   IV.--The Hall of the House.....................   376

                    V.--Broadcasting the House....................   384

                   VI.--Official Reporters and News Media 

                        Galleries.................................   387

                  VII.--Records of the House......................   398

                 VIII.--Response to Subpoenas.....................   402

                   IX.--Questions of Privilege....................   406

                    X.--Organization of Committees................   426

                   XI.--Procedures of Committees and Unfinished 

                        Business..................................   537

                  XII.--Receipt and Referral of Measures and 

                        Matters...................................   603

                 XIII.--Calendars and Committee Reports...........   617

                  XIV.--Order and Priority of Business............   651


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                   XV.--Business in Order on Special Days.........   662

                                                                    Page

             Rule XVI.--Motions and Amendments....................   681

                 XVII.--Decorum and Debate........................   734

                XVIII.--The Committee of the Whole House on the 

                        state of the Union........................   762

                  XIX.--Motions Following the Amendment Stage.....   791

                   XX.--Voting and Quorum Calls...................   806

                  XXI.--Restrictions on Certain Bills.............   836

                 XXII.--House and Senate Relations................   891

                XXIII.--Code of Official Conduct..................   918

                 XXIV.--Limitations on Use of Official Funds......   929

                  XXV.--Limitations on Outside Earned Income and 

                        Acceptance of Gifts.......................   933

                 XXVI.--Financial Disclosure......................   962

                XXVII.--Disclosure by Members and Staff of 

                        Employment Negotiations...................   987

               XXVIII.--Statutory Limit on Public Debt............   988

                 XXIX.--General Provisions........................   991
Provisions of Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946, as Amended by the 

    Legislative Reorganization Act of 1970, Applicable to Both Houses
Congressional adjournment.........................................   995
Preservation of committee hearings................................   996

                       Joint and Select Committees
Economic Committee, Joint.........................................   997
Internal Revenue Taxation, Joint Committee on.....................   997
Library, Joint Committee of Congress on the.......................   998
Printing, Joint Committee on......................................   998
Inaugural Ceremonies, Joint Congressional Committee on............   998
Select committees.................................................   998


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                     House and Congressional Offices
House Commission on Congressional Mailing Standards...............  1001
House Office Building Commission..................................  1001
Government Accountability Office..................................  1001
Office of Compliance..............................................  1001
Congressional Research Service....................................  1002
Legislative Counsel...............................................  1002
Congressional Budget Office.......................................  1002
Law Revision Counsel..............................................  1002
Technology Assessment.............................................  1002
Office of the Parliamentarian.....................................  1002
Office of Floor Assistants........................................  1003

                                                                    Page
Office of Interparliamentary Affairs..............................  1003
House Recording Studio............................................  1003
United States Capitol Preservation Commission.....................  1003
Office of General Counsel.........................................  1003
Office of Emergency Planning, Preparedness, and Operations........  1004
Office of Attending Physician.....................................  1004
Office of Architect of the Capitol................................  1004
House Democracy Assistance Commission.............................  1004
Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission................................  1004
Office of Congressional Ethics....................................  1005
Early organization of the House...................................  1007

          Miscellaneous Provisions of Congressional Budget Laws
Congressional Budget Act of 1974..................................  1013
Budget Enforcement Act of 1990....................................  1091

                  Legislative Procedures Enacted in Law
Measures privileged for consideration in House....................  1097



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                                  Index
Index.............................................................  1269

                        GENERAL ORDER OF BUSINESS


                                Rule XIV


              First. Prayer by Chaplain.


              Second. Approval of Journal.


              Third. The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.


              Fourth. Correction of reference of public bills.


              Fifth. Disposal of business on Speaker's table.


              Sixth. Unfinished business.


              Seventh. The morning hour for the consideration of bills.


              Eighth. Motions to go into Committee of the Whole.


              Ninth. Orders of the day.

                        SPECIAL ORDER OF BUSINESS


Second and fourth Mondays:

                                 Mondays


              Motions to discharge committees. Rule XV, clause 2.


Every Monday:

              District of Columbia Business. Rule XV, clause 4.


              Motions to suspend rules. Rule XV, clause 1.


First and third Tuesdays:

                                Tuesdays

  Private Calendar. Rule XV, clause 5. Individual private bills 

        considered on first Tuesday of each month, omnibus private bills 


Every Tuesday:

        may be considered on third Tuesday of each month.


              Motions to suspend rules. Rule XV, clause 1.


Call of Committees under Calendar Wednesday. Rule XV, clause 7.

Every Wednesday:

                               Wednesdays


              Motions to suspend rules. Rule XV, clause 1.