Source: https://www.everycrsreport.com/changes/20141110_98-307_008ff7282e9718cc8b58cd9038d62e74db44bf69__20170502_98-307_84507595d693483c768f77c0a3fe863c0a4ac339.html
Timestamp: 2019-05-21 20:31:20
Document Index: 786996775

Matched Legal Cases: ['§2', '§34', '§9', '§1', '§5', '§3', '§3']

Changes in Points of Order, Rulings, and Appeals in the House of Representatives from November 10, 2014 to May 2, 2017 - EveryCRSReport.com
November 10, 2014May 2, 2017 (98-307)
TheThe Speaker1 usually does not take the initiative to prevent the House from considering proposals or taking actions that would violate the House's rules.2 Instead, whenever a Member believes that the House's legislative procedures are being violated in some way, or are about to be violated, that Member may insist that the House's procedures be enforced by making a point of order against the alleged violation. Points of order against measures or amendments may be waived in the House by unanimous consent, pursuant to a special rule reported from the Rules Committee and adopted by majority vote on the floor, or via suspension of the rules.
If a Member does make a point of order at the appropriate time, the Speaker gives that Member an opportunity to explain precisely what rule or precedent is being violated and why. The Member whose action is in question may then respond to the point of order. The Speaker may allow other Members to speak on the point of order; if the bill manager concedes the point of order, the Speaker need not entertain debate before ruling.5 AllAny debate on a point of order is at the discretion of the chair and is only for the purpose of advising the chair on the procedural issue that the point of order raises.
Most appeals are debatable under Rule I, but it is unusual for there to be much debate on an appeal.8 Debate is under the one-hour rule in the House and under the five-minute rule in the Committee of the Whole. However, the House can end the debate on an appeal by voting to order the previous question (or by voting to close debate if in Committee of the Whole). Alternately, a motion to table an appeal is in order in the House (but not in Committee of the Whole). The Speaker puts the appeal to a vote by phrasing the question in the following way: "The question is, shall the decision of the Chair stand as the judgment of the House [or the Committee]?" Those supporting the ruling vote "aye"; those opposing it vote "nayno."
In the House of Representatives, appeals from rulings of the chair are quite infrequent. In the 112114th Congress (2015-2016), nine, four appeals were taken from rulings of the chair on points of order, and no rulings of the presiding officer were overturned.9 In fact, none have been overturned in over a half century. At least two reasons account for the failure of the House to overturn a ruling. First, the Speaker's rulings are based on the parliamentarian's advice, which, in turn, is based on prior rulings on similar questions. Generally, the correctness of rulings is not in doubt. Second, most members of the majority party can be expected to support a ruling made by that party's elected leader or another Member whom he or shethe Speaker has designated to preside.
For additional information, see House Practice: A Guide to the Rules, Precedents and Procedures of the House, by Wm. Holmes Brown, Charles W. Johnson, and John V. Sullivan, and Thomas J. Wickham Jr. (Washington: GPO, 2011), pp. 472017), chapter 2 ("Amendments"), pp. 63-67chapter 3 ("Appeals"), pp. 667-681chapter 37 ("Points of Order; Parliamentary Inquiries"), and pp. 837-827chapter 50 ("Rules and Precedents of the House"). It is also available electronically at http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/GPO-HPRACTICE-112115/content-detail.html.
See House Practice: A Guide to the Rules, Precedents and Procedures of the House, by Wm. Holmes Brown, Charles W. Johnson, and John V. SullivanCharles W. Johnson, John V. Sullivan, and Thomas J. Wickham Jr. (Washington: GPO, 2011), pp. 670-6712017), ch. 37, §2.
House Rule XXI provides some circumstances under which a point of order may be raised against certain amendments (e.g., amendments carrying appropriations) at any time during pendency of the measure for amendment (provided that points of order against amendments have not been waived, for example, pursuant to a special rule). For additional information on appropriate timing for raising certain points of order on these types of amendments, see House Practice, pp. 48-49ch. 2, §34.
House Practice, p. 675-676ch. 37, §9.
and CRS Report 97-865, Points of Order in the Congressional Budget Process, by [author name scrubbed].
House Practice, p. 669ch. 37, §1.
Quite often, a motion to table the appeal is offered; the ruling is sustained if the tabling motion is adopted. House Practice, p. 66ch. 3, §5.
This evaluation of appeals is based on those found through an LISa search of the Daily Digest and Congressional Record for the 112114th Congress. Each of the four, as well as an examination of the roll call vote data. (See Roll Call Votes 178, 536, 658, and 688 in the 1st session [2015] and Votes 145, 148, 206, 356, 375 in the 2nd session [2016].) Seven of the nine appeals identified were disposed of unfavorably when the House agreed to a motion to table the appeal.
On the other two, the House voted directly on the appeal, sustaining the ruling.
House Practice, p. 64ch. 3, §3.
See House Practice, pp. 64-65ch. 3, §3, for other examples of chair decisions not subject to appeal.