I’m trying to make sense of some legislation ( ), and in the Library of Congress’ record of all actions regarding this bill, is the following:
Could someone help me understand what is meant by suspending the rules?
Whoops! I meant to insert the actual bill: Bill H.R. 3164
In general, in Roberts, a motion to suspend the rules is what it sounds like…you’re moving that the (in this case House) rules be suspended so that the House can do something the rules don’t normally allow it to do.
Here are the House rules:
Suspension of the rules is a specific procedure in the House of Representatives that allows for quick consideration of non-controversial bills. It disallows amendments, motions that could be considered dilatory (or time-wasting), and provides for only one hour of debate on a measure. The motion and the bill are required to pass by a 2/3 vote.
To state it outright – this applies to the Chamber’s internal procedures for consideration of legislation. It doesn’t in any way effect the Constitution’s procedures for the passage of legislation (simple majority in two Chambers, signed by president, etc.)
–Cliffy
Thanks for the help guys, that was all very useful.
So, when someone motions for this, and a vote is taken, is there just one vote that includes both passing the motion and accepting the bill, or are there two votes, one to pass the motion and then (if that vote passed by 2/3) a second vote on the bill itself?
There’s just one motion – to “suspend the rules and pass the bill.” Under the House rules, a motion to suspend the rules on a bill can only be made on a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday, or during the last six day of a Congressional session. The motion cannot be amended, can only be debated for forty minutes (divided evenly between supporters and opponents, if any) and requires a 2/3 majority of those present and voting to pass.
Legislation that the leadership would like to bring up under suspension is placed on the “suspension calendar”, and is mostly of the “Naming April as National Safety Scissors Appreciation Month” variety. Between 2/3 and 3/4 of all bills that pass the House are considered under suspension.
In every session of the House, the first bill deposited is labeled HR1. According to the rules, this will be the first bill voted on in the session. Generally speaking, it never makes it to a vote because the rules are always suspended to allow the passage of the bills that the House leaders and the rules committee have agreed to. The result is that the House Rules Committee is the most powerful committee since no bill can be passed without their approval of a suspension of the rules to allow it to be taken out of order. Meanwhile, HR1 and HR2 and so on all languish and die when the session ends and that House expires. I suspect that a member will be permitted to suspend the rules only for non-controversial things, like a bill to build a bridge to nowhere in Alaska.
A similar example under Canadian parliamentary rules is the principle that a bill must go through the four stages (1st reading, 2nd reading, committee, and 3rd reading) on four separate days. The idea is to ensure deliberation, rather than rushing it through. However, the House can always waive that rule, but under our system it requires unanimous consent of all members present.