PART I: THE HOUSE CALENDAR AND THE DAILY ORDER OF BUSINESS 1. The Annual Calendar and Weekly Schedule 2.1 The House Is Called to Order by the Speaker 2.2. Morning-Hour Debate 2.3. Prayer Is Offered By The Chaplain 2.4. Approval Of The Journal 2.5. Pledge Of Allegiance To The Flag 2.6. One-Minute Speeches 2.7. Debate and Votes on Legislation 2.8. End Of Legislative Business For The Day 2.9. Adjournment PART II: DEBATING LEGISLATION ON THE FLOOR 3. How Legislation Comes to the Floor 4. Suspension Of The Rules 5.1. Special Rules For Major Bills 5.2. Resolving into the Committee of the Whole 5.3. General Debate in the Committee of the Whole 5.4. Amendments Under the Five-Minute Rule 5.5. Conclusion of a Bill’s Consideration 5.6. Final Passage of a Bill 6. Discharge Petitions 7. Consensus Calendar PART III: GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS PRACTICES 8. Voting By Electronic Device 9. Unanimous Consent Requests 10. Decorum in the House Chamber 11. Decorum Continued: Engaging in Personalities, Unparliamentary Language, and Words Taken Down 12. Best Practices for Preparing Amendments 13. Privileged Business 14. Conference Reports 15. Earmark Rules 16. Cut-As-You-Go (CUTGO) 17. Spending Reduction Amendments In Appropriations Bills Appendix I: Congressional Glossary Appendix II: Additional Resources

Legislation usually comes to the Floor by one of two ways: pursuant to a special rule or by a motion to suspend the rules and pass the legislation.

Less common ways are via 1.) discharge petitions, 2.) the Consensus Calendar, and 3.) unanimous consent. 

Special rules, motions to suspend the rules and pass, discharge petitions, and the Consensus Calendar are discussed in this part. Since debating and passing legislation via unanimous consent relates to the wider practice of unanimous consent requests, it is discussed in section 9 “Unanimous Consent Requests,” in part III “General and Miscellaneous Practices.”

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119th Congress Floor Procedures Manual

Table of Contents

PART I: THE HOUSE CALENDAR AND THE DAILY ORDER OF BUSINESS

1. The Annual Calendar and Weekly Schedule

2.1 The House Is Called to Order by the Speaker

2.2. Morning-Hour Debate

2.3. Prayer Is Offered By The Chaplain

2.4. Approval Of The Journal

2.5. Pledge Of Allegiance To The Flag

2.6. One-Minute Speeches

2.7. Debate and Votes on Legislation

2.8. End Of Legislative Business For The Day

2.9. Adjournment

PART II: DEBATING LEGISLATION ON THE FLOOR

3. How Legislation Comes to the Floor

4. Suspension Of The Rules

5.1. Special Rules For Major Bills

5.2. Resolving into the Committee of the Whole

5.3. General Debate in the Committee of the Whole

5.4. Amendments Under the Five-Minute Rule

5.5. Conclusion of a Bill’s Consideration

5.6. Final Passage of a Bill

6. Discharge Petitions

7. Consensus Calendar

PART III: GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS PRACTICES

8. Voting By Electronic Device

9. Unanimous Consent Requests

10. Decorum in the House Chamber

11. Decorum Continued: Engaging in Personalities, Unparliamentary Language, and Words Taken Down

12. Best Practices for Preparing Amendments

13. Privileged Business

14. Conference Reports

15. Earmark Rules

16. Cut-As-You-Go (CUTGO)

17. Spending Reduction Amendments In Appropriations Bills

Appendix I: Congressional Glossary

Appendix II: Additional Resources

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