[Constitution, Jefferson's Manual, and the Rules of the House of Representatives, 116th Congress]
[116th Congress]
[House Document 115-177]
[Rules of the House of Representatives]
[Pages 677-688]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


 
                                 Rule XIV


                     order and priority of business



Sec. 869. The rule for the order of business in the House.

  1. The daily order of business (unless varied by the application of 
other rules and except for the disposition of matters of higher 
precedence) shall be as follows:
   
First. Prayer by the Chaplain. l  Second. Reading and approval of the 
Journal, unless postponed under clause 8 of rule XX.


  Third. The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.


[[Page 678]]

  Fourth. Correction of reference of public bills.

  Fifth. Disposal of business on the Speaker's table as provided in 
clause 2.

  Sixth. Unfinished business as provided in clause 3.

  Seventh. The morning hour for the consideration of bills called up by 
committees as provided in clause 4.

  Eighth. Motions that the House resolve into the Committee of the Whole 
House on the state of the Union subject to clause 5.


  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 to arrange the business to give the House as much 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 1890 (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. 468). Before the House recodified its rules in the 106th 
Congress, this provision was found in former clause 1 of rule XXIV (H. 
Res. 5, Jan. 6, 1999, p. 47). A correction to a cross reference was 
effected in the 107th Congress (sec. 2(x), H. Res. 5, Jan. 3, 2001, p. 
26).

  The Speaker does not entertain a point of no quorum before the prayer 
is offered (VI, 663). Under clause 7 of rule XX, a point of no quorum 
may not be entertained unless a question is pending (see Sec. 1027, 
infra).


[[Page 679]]

  In response to serial parliamentary inquiries regarding the pledge of 
allegiance to the flag, the Chair advised that: (1) under clause 1 of 
rule XIV, the third element of the daily order of business is the Pledge 
of Allegiance; (2) section 4 of title 4, United States Code, prescribes 
the text of the pledge; (3) when the pledge is delivered as the third 
element of the daily order of business, the Record reflects the pledge 
in its statutory form; and (4) the statute prescribes the manner of 
delivery of the pledge (Apr. 27, 2004, pp. 7588, 7600).



Sec. 870. Privileged interruptions of the order of 
business in the House.

  This rule  does not bind the House to a daily routine 
because the system of making certain important subjects privileged (see 
clause 5 of rule XIII and rule XXII) permits the interruption of the 
order of business by matters that, in fact, often supplant it entirely 
for days at a time. In the 106th Congress the recodification 
acknowledged in the parenthetical of this clause that the prescribed 
daily order of business could be superseded by operation of other rules 
(H. Res. 5, Jan. 6, 1999, p. 47). But when the order of business is 
interrupted by a privileged matter, the business in order proceeds from 
the place of interruption (IV, 3070, 3071) unless the House adjourns, in 
which case it starts anew with the prayer. Although 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 resolving into the 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 exception to the principle that a majority may prevent 
interruption is contained in clause 5 of rule XV, providing for a call 
of the Private Calendar. By this combination of an order of business 
with privileged interruptions the House gives 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.




Sec. 871. The privileged matters that may interrupt the order 
of business.

    The privileged matters that may interrupt the order of 
business include: l  (1) General appropriation bills (clause 5 of rule 
XIII; IV, 3072). l  (2) Conference reports (clause 7(a) of rule XXII; V, 
6443) and motions to discharge or instruct conferees (clause 7(c) of 
rule XXII).


  (3) Special orders reported by the Committee on Rules for 
consideration by the House (clause 5 of rule XIII; IV, 3070-3076, 4621).

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

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

  (6) Privileged bills reported under the right to report at any time 
(clauses 5 and 7 of rule XIII; IV, 3142-3144, 4621).

  (7) Call of committees on Wednesdays for bills on House and Union 
Calendars (clause 6 of rule XV).

  (8) Private business (clause 5 of rule XV).

  (9) Motions to discharge committees on public bills and resolutions 
(clause 2 of rule XV).

  (10) Consideration of District of Columbia business on the second and 
fourth Mondays of a month (clause 4 of rule XV; IV, 3304).

  (11) Motions to suspend the rules and pass bills out of the regular 
order (clause 1 of rule XV; V, 6790).


[[Page 680]]

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

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

  (14) Motions to send a bill to conference (under clause 1 of rule 
XXII; 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). Before the 104th Congress, 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 681]]




Sec. 872. 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 suspend the order of 
business temporarily (IV, 3059). Therefore any Member, including the 
Chair, 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 (see, e.g., Speaker Foley, Nov. 14, 1991, p. 32129; Dec. 
15, 1995, p. 37142; Nov. 7, 2009, p. 27190). A Member objecting to a 
unanimous-consent request or demanding the regular order when another 
has reserved the right to object must identify himself or herself to be 
observed by the Chair (Nov. 7, 1991, p. 30633; June 23, 1992, p. 15703). 
The Speaker, however, usually signifies 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 XVII and are discussed in Sec. 956, infra. 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 former clause 4 of rule 
XIII, a Consent Calendar was established, which was abolished in the 
104th Congress (H. Res. 168, June 20, 1995, p. 16574). For discussion of 
unanimous-consent requests and reservations of objections, see Sec. 956, 
infra. 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, because it merely permits 
consideration of a matter not otherwise privileged (Dec. 16, 1987, p. 
35816).




Sec. 873. Disposal of 
business on the Speaker's table.

  2. Business on the Speaker's table  shall be disposed of as follows:


      (a) Messages from the President shall be referred to the 
appropriate committees without debate.

      (b) Communications addressed to the House, including reports and 
communications from heads of departments 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 
and public resolutions presented by Members, Delegates, or the Resident 
Commissioner.

      (c) Motions to dispose of Senate amendments on the Speaker's table 
may be entertained as provided in clauses 1, 2, and 4 of rule XXII.


      (d) Senate bills and resolutions substantially the same as House 
measures already favorably reported and not required to be considered in 
the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union may be 
disposed of by motion. Such a motion shall be privileged if offered by 
direction of all reporting committees having initial jurisdiction of the 
House measure.


[[Page 682]]

rule XXII occupied a single clause (formerly clause 2 of rule XXIV) (H. 
Res. 5, Jan. 6, 1999, p. 47).
  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 modify the 
rule so 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). Before 
the House recodified its rules in the 106th Congress, this provision and 
clause 2 of



Sec. 874. 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, messages from the President except those 
transmitting objections to bills (IV, 3534-3536), and 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). Messages from the President are referred. Such portions of 
Senate messages (House bills with Senate amendments) that do not require 
consideration in the Committee of the Whole may be laid before the House 
for action. Communications from the President, other than messages; all 
portions of Senate messages requiring consideration in the Committee of 
the Whole (IV, 3101); and Senate bills of all kinds (with the exception 
noted in the rule) may be referred to the appropriate standing 
committees under direction of the Speaker without action by the House 
(IV, 3107, 3111; VI, 727). Under clause 2 of former rule XXIV (current 
rule XIV), the Speaker may temporarily retain custody of an executive 
communication addressed to the Speaker (or may pursuant to former clause 
1 of rule IV (current clause 3(a) of rule II) order the Sergeant-at-Arms 
to assume custody) pending House disposition of a special order reported 
from the Committee on Rules relating to a referral of the communication 
to committee (Sept. 9, 1998, p. 19769).



[[Page 683]]

and not involving an expenditure (IV, 3103) has been placed on the House 
Calendar (IV, 3096; VI, 727, 736, 738) or Private Calendar (IV, 3102). 
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 a member 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).
  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 under clause 2 of rule XII 
(VI, 731), and on being reported therefrom is referred directly to the 
Committee of the Whole (IV, 3094, 3095, 3108-3110). However, the usual 
practice is to take the bill from the Speaker's table and concur, concur 
with an amendment, or send to conference by unanimous consent, special 
rule, or suspension of the rules (VI, 732) (although a motion to send to 
conference may be privileged under clause 1 of rule XXII). The Speaker 
may 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 of Senate amendments at the 
Speaker's table (Apr. 26, 1984, p. 10194; Feb. 4, 1987, p. 2676) 
discussed in Sec. 956, infra. 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''




Sec. 875. 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). Although 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). The referral may be to a select 
as well as to a standing committee (V, 6633, 6634).



[[Page 684]]

whenever the class of business to which it belongs shall be in order 
under the rules.



Sec. 876. Unfinished business.

  3.  Consideration of 
unfinished business in which the House may have been engaged at an 
adjournment, except business in the morning hour and proceedings 
postponed under clause 8 of rule XX, shall be resumed as soon as the 
business on the Speaker's table is finished, and at the same time each 
day thereafter until disposed of. The consideration of all other 
unfinished business shall be resumed


  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). Before the House recodified its rules in 
the 106th Congress, this provision was found in former clause 3 of rule 
XXIV (H. Res. 5, Jan. 6, 1999, p. 47). A clerical correction to a cross 
reference was effected in the 107th Congress (sec. 2(x), H. Res. 5, Jan. 
3, 2001, p. 26).



Sec. 877. Construction of rule as to unfinished 
business.

  This  clause should be understood in light of clause 8 of rule XX, 
which permits the Chair to postpone record votes on certain questions to 
a designated time within two legislative days (see Sec. 1030, infra). 
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, the first Tuesday 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). If 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. 22609; Sept. 28, 1993, p. 22719). When the House 
adjourns on the second legislative day after postponement of a question 
under clause 8 of rule XX without resuming proceedings thereon, the 
question remains unfinished business on the next legislative day (Oct. 
1, 1997, p. 20922; Oct. 2, 1997, p. 20991). When the House adjourns 
while a motion to instruct under clause 7(c) of rule XXII is pending, 
the motion to instruct becomes unfinished business on the next day and 
does not need to be renoticed (Oct. 1, 1997, p. 20894).



[[Page 685]]

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). 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. 878. 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




Sec. 879. Business unfinished in periods set apart 
for classes of business.

  The rule  excepts by its terms certain classes of 
business that 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.

  (d) District of Columbia bills.

  (e) Bills brought up under the rule setting apart days for motions to 
suspend the rules 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).


  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 8 of rule XX, a motion to suspend the rules that is undisposed of 
on one suspension day goes over as unfinished business to the next 
suspension day (V, 6814-6816; VIII, 3411, 3412; Mar. 15, 2017, p. _ (see 
Mar. 8, 2017, p. _)).


[[Page 686]]

lution under consideration. A committee that has occupied the call for 
two days may not call up another bill or resolution until the other 
committees have been called in their turn.



Sec. 880. 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. Each committee when named may call up for consideration a 
bill or resolution reported by it on a previous day and on the House 
Calendar. If the Speaker does not complete the call of the committees 
before the House passes to other business, the next call shall resume at 
the point it left off, giving preference to the last bill or reso


  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 6 of rule XV), 
the morning hour has been used but rarely. Before the House recodified 
its rules in the 106th Congress, this provision was found in former 
clause 4 of rule XXIV (H. Res. 5, Jan. 6, 1999, p. 47).




Sec. 881. Procedure in the morning 
hour.

  Originally the  morning hour was a fixed period of 60 minutes (IV, 3118); but 
under the present rule 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 60 minutes votes to go into Committee of the Whole House 
on the state of the Union (clause 5 of rule XIV; IV, 3134), or unless 
other privileged matter intervenes (IV, 3131, 3132). Before the 
expiration of the 60 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 was 
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 that 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 properly be on the House Calendar (IV, 3122-
3126), and a bill on the Union Calendar may not be brought up on call of 
committees under this clause (VI, 753). If the authority of the 
committee to call up a bill is disputed, the Chair does not consider it 
a duty to decide the question (IV, 3127) but may base the decision on 
statements from the chair and other members of the committee (IV, 3128).



[[Page 687]]

state of the Union or, when authorized by a committee, that the House 
resolve into the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union 
to consider a particular bill. Such a motion shall be subject to only 
one amendment designating another bill. If such a motion is decided in 
the negative, another such motion may not be considered until the matter 
that was pending when such motion was offered is disposed of.



Sec. 882. Interruption of the call of committees by 
motion to go into Committee of the Whole House on the state of the 
Union.

  5. After  consideration of bills or resolutions under clause 4 for one 
hour, it shall be in order, pending consideration thereof, to entertain 
a motion that the House resolve into the Committee of the Whole House on 
the


  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). Before the House recodified its rules in the 106th 
Congress, this provision was found in former clause 5 of rule XXIV (H. 
Res. 5, Jan. 6, 1999, p. 47).


6. <>   All questions relating to the priority of business 
shall be decided by a majority without debate.



Sec. 883. Conditions of the motion to go into 
Committee of the Whole at the end of one hour.

  The phrase  ``one hour'' has been 
interpreted to include a shorter time in the case that 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 
the 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 the Member 
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 
nonprivileged bills and is not used in the House for consideration of 
bills in the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union if 
otherwise privileged under clause 5 of rule XIII.



[[Page 688]]

  This provision was adopted in 1803 to prevent obstructive debate (IV, 
3061). Before the House recodified its rules in the 106th Congress, this 
provision was found in former rule XXV (H. Res. 5, Jan. 6, 1999, p. 47). 
The question of consideration under clause 3 of rule XVI and the motion 
that the House resolve itself into the Committee of the Whole are not 
debatable (VIII, 2447; IV, 3062, 3063).




  This rule may not be invoked to establish an order of business or to 
inhibit the Speaker's power of recognition (Speaker Albert, July 31, 
1975, p. 26249). It has been held that appeals from decisions of the 
Chair as to priority of business are not debatable under this rule (V, 
6952).