Democrats repeatedly objected during a comically long vote on an amendment during a session devoted to President Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill.”
The House and the Senate have been involved in a frantic two-step to get the bill to Trump’s desk by July 4, despite heavy public opposition to things like Medicaid cuts and opposition from within the party. Barring some major development, the bill appears headed for passage by a slim margin.
Democrats have done everything they can to delay movement on the bill in hopes they can shift the narrow margin their way, while Republicans have had their own troubles moving things along.
At one point during the marathon session Wednesday, it took over an hour for Republicans to eke out a vote to proceed after Democrats demanded a recorded vote.
But that was nothing compared to the delay on a procedural amendment proposed by Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC). Speaker Pro Tempore Rep. Steve Womack (R-AR) called a 5-minute vote on the Foxx amendment shortly after 1 PM — and over an hour later, Rep. Joe Neguse (D-CO) rose to ask what was up as the vote stalled:
REP. STEVE WOMACK (R-AR): The question is on adoption of the amendment offered by the gentlelady from North Carolina, Ms. Foxx. Those in favor say aye. Those opposed, no. Pen and chair, the ayes have it. The amendment, gentleman from Massachusetts. I ask for a recorded vote. A recorded vote is requested. Those
favoring a recorded vote will rise. Fission number having risen, a recorded vote is ordered.Members will record their votes by electronic device. This is a five minute vote.(One hour later)REP. JOE NEGUSE (D-CO): Parliamentary inquiry, Mr. Speaker?REP. STEVE WOMACK (R-AR): Gentleman will state his inquiry.REP. JOE NEGUSE (D-CO): Mr. Speaker, my understanding is that Republican leadership has issued a notice to their members that they are not required to be on the floor, essentially an informal adjournment, notwithstanding that this amendment vote is pending. Is it appropriate under the rules of procedure, Jefferson’s manual, to keep a vote open while simultaneously declaring to members that they’re free to leave?REP. STEVE WOMACK (R-AR): What the chair would say to the gentleman from Colorado is that the, under clause nine of rule 20, the minimum, underlined minimum time for voting is five minutes on this vote. This vote remains open.So the minimum time is five minute and there’s not a maximum time, nor to this chair’s knowledge is there a requirement that during the vote that the members remain on the floor.As the gentleman from Colorado would surely know, it is customary for members to vote in the middle of a vote series, leave the floor, and then come back for additional votes later. So I hope that clears up any misunderstanding the gentleman from Colorado would have.REP. JOE NEGUSE (D-CO): Mr. Speaker, it does, and I appreciate the Speaker’s response. Is it customary for a vote to go over one hour?REP. STEVE WOMACK (R-AR): It is not unprecedented, though the chair is not a historian. And so you would have to talk to people that are engaged in the history of the proceedings of the House of Representatives to be able to ascertain that answer.REP. JOE NEGUSE (D-CO): My final parliamentary procedure request, would it be permissible, Mr. Speaker, or would the speaker entertain a motion to adjourn given that Republicans don’t intend to consummate, to complete?REP. STEVE WOMACK (R-AR): That would not be in order. Gentlemen rose, for a parliamentary inquiry, that answer has been given, and that would be the limitation to the gentleman’s ability on the floor.
After eight and a half hours, Neguse rose again to inform Womack that the stalled vote had passed into the record books, and to ask if the Speaker thought it might be another “three months”:
REP. JOE NEGUSE (D-CO): Mr. Speaker, my understanding is that House Republicans have kept this vote open longer than any other Congress in the history of the House of Representatives. At what point will the Speaker ascertain as to whether this practice is violative of Rule 17 with respect to the order of the House or Rule 20 with respect the voting procedures of the House?REP. STEVE WOMACK
(R-AR): What the chair would tell the gentleman from Colorado is that, once again, as I said a few hours ago, the chair, the presiding officer is not a historian and so therefore cannot opine as to whether or not historical precedent is in order or whether this will be a condition of the House going forward.REP. JOE NEGUSE (D-CO): Whether or not it was violative of Rule 17 or Rule 20 for Republicans to keep this vote open longer than any other Congress in the history of the United States House of Representatives. We know for certain that this in fact is a new precedent that has been broken by Republicans this is the largest yes mister speakerREP. STEVE WOMACK (R-AR): To the gentleman from Colorado, as was stated again several hours ago, the rule provides for a minimum time for voting, not a maximum time for vote, so that minimum time obviously is part of that rule. So besides that, the chair doesn’t have any other information that he could share with the gentleman form Colorado that would be useful in this discussion.REP. JOE NEGUSE (D-CO): I thank the Speaker. I conclude simply by saying, Mr. Speaker, is it permissible under the rules for this vote to be held open for 24 hours, 48 hours, 3 months? How long in the Speaker’s judgment is it permitted to hold the vote?REP. STEVE WOMACK (R-AR): The gentleman isposing hypotheticals and is prepared to move on the vote that we’re currently in and so therefore the conversation ends.REP. JOE NEGUSE (D-CO): I thank the speaker.(MOMENTS LATER)REP. STEVE WOMACK (R-AR): On this vote, the yeas are 220, the nays are 212. The amendment is adopted.
Watch above via the Clerk of the House and C-SPAN.