1 Union Calendar No. 407 112TH CONGRESS " ! REPORT 2d Session HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 112–567 SURVEY OF ACTIVITIES OF THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON RULES FOR THE THIRD QUARTER OF THE 112TH CONGRESS R E P O R T OF THE COMMITTEE ON RULES U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES JUNE 29, 2012.—Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 19–006 WASHINGTON : 2012 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, http://bookstore.gpo.gov. For more information, contact the GPO Customer Contact Center, U.S. Government Printing Office. Phone 202–512–1800, or 866–512–1800 (toll-free). E-mail, [email protected]. VerDate Mar 15 2010 04:38 Jul 03, 2012 Jkt 019006 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 5012 Sfmt 5012 E:\HR\OC\HR567.XXX HR567 pwalker on DSK7TPTVN1PROD with REPORTS CONGRESS.#13 COMMITTEE ON RULES DAVID DREIER, California, Chairman PETE SESSIONS, Texas LOUISE MCINTOSH SLAUGHTER, New York VIRGINIA FOXX, North Carolina JAMES P. MCGOVERN, Massachusetts ROB BISHOP, Utah ALCEE L. HASTINGS, Florida ROB WOODALL, Georgia JARED POLIS, Colorado RICHARD B. NUGENT, Florida TIM SCOTT, South Carolina DANIEL WEBSTER, Florida* HUGH NATHANIAL HALPERN, Staff Director MILES M. LACKEY, Minority Staff Director SUBCOMMITTEE ON LEGISLATIVE AND BUDGET PROCESS PETE SESSIONS, Texas, Chairman VIRGINIA FOXX, North Carolina ALCEE L. HASTINGS, Florida ROB WOODALL, Georgia JARRED POLIS, Colorado DANIEL WEBSTER, Florida DAVID DREIER, California TOWNER FRENCH, Subcommittee Staff Director LALE M. MAMAUX, Minority Subcommittee Staff Director SUBCOMMITTEE ON RULES AND ORGANIZATION OF THE HOUSE RICHARD B. NUGENT, Florida, Chairman ROB BISHOP, Utah JAMES P. MCGOVERN, Massachusetts TIM SCOTT, South Carolina LOUISE MCINTOSH SLAUGHTER, New York DAVID DREIER, California KATHARINE TROLLER, Subcommittee Staff Director KIETH STERN, Minority Subcommittee Staff Director * TOM REED of New York was elected to the Committee on April 5, 2011 and served until he resigned on June 14, 2011 to serve on the Committee on Ways and Means. ii VerDate Mar 15 2010 21:46 Jul 02, 2012 Jkt 019006 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 0486 Sfmt 6601 E:\HR\OC\HR567.XXX HR567 pwalker on DSK7TPTVN1PROD with REPORTS LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, COMMITTEE ON RULES, Washington, DC, June 29, 2012 Hon. KAREN HAAS, Clerk, United States House of Representatives, Washington, DC. DEAR MADAM CLERK: Pursuant to clause 1(d) of rule XI of the Rules of the House of Representatives for the 112th Congress, I transmit herewith a report entitled ‘‘Survey of Activities of the House Committee on Rules for the Third Quarter of the 112th Con- gress.’’ Sincerely, DAVID DREIER CHAIRMAN. (iii) VerDate Mar 15 2010 21:46 Jul 02, 2012 Jkt 019006 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6604 Sfmt 6604 E:\HR\OC\HR567.XXX HR567 pwalker on DSK7TPTVN1PROD with REPORTS CONTENTS Page I. History, Function, and Organization of the Committee on Rules .................... 1 A. Introduction ..................................................................................................... 1 B. History and Function ...................................................................................... 2 C. Committee Organization during the 112th Congress ................................... 4 D. Information Transparency for the Rules Committee ................................... 6 E. Rules of the Committee on Rules for the 112th Congress ........................... 7 II. House Rules Changes Adopted at the Beginning of the 112th Congress ...... 13 A. Introduction ..................................................................................................... 13 B. Summary of Substantive Changes Contained in H. Res. 5, Adopting House Rules for the 112th Congress ............................................................... 14 III. Committee Oversight Plan ............................................................................... 19 IV. Committee Jurisdiction and Activities ............................................................ 20 A. Introduction ..................................................................................................... 20 B. Special Orders or Rules .................................................................................. 21 1. Rule Requests ............................................................................................... 21 2. Hearings ........................................................................................................ 21 3. Special Orders or Rules ............................................................................... 23 a. Background ............................................................................................... 23 b. Categories of Rules Granted with Amendment Structures ................... 23 c. Categories of Rules Granted with Certain Floor Management Tools ... 24 d. Categories of Rules Granted to Resolve Differences Among and Re- sponding to the Legislative Activities of Committees ............................ 25 e. Categories of Rules Granted Dealing with House-Senate Relations .... 26 4. Floor Consideration of a Special Rule ........................................................ 27 5. Rules Rejected, Tabled or Pending ............................................................. 28 6. Explanation of Waivers of All Points of Order .......................................... 28 7. Waivers of House Rules ............................................................................... 39 8. Waivers of Budget Enforcement .................................................................. 34 C. Original Jurisdiction Matter .......................................................................... 36 1. Committee Consideration of Original Jurisdiction Measures ................... 36 2. Original Jursidiction Full Committee Hearings ........................................ 37 a. H. Res. 9, Instructing Certain Committees to Report Legislation Replacing the Job-Killing Health Care Law ........................................... 37 b. H. Res. 38, Reducing Non-Security Spending to Fiscal Year 2008 Levels or Less ............................................................................................ 37 c. H. Res. 72, Directing certain standing committees to inventory and review existing, pending, and proposed regulations and orders from agencies of the Federal Government, particularly with respect to their effect on jobs and economic growth ................................................ 37 3. Original Jurisdiction Measures Reported ................................................... 38 a. H. Res. 9, Instructing Certain Committees to Report Legislation Replacing the Job-Killing Health Care Law ........................................... 38 b. H. Res. 38, Reducing Non-Security Spending to Fiscal Year 2008 Levels or Less ............................................................................................ 39 c. H. Res. 72, Directing certain standing committees to inventory and review existing, pending, and proposed regulations and orders from agencies of the Federal Government, particularly with respect to their effect on jobs and economic growth ................................................ 40 d. H.R. 10, Regulations From the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act of 2011 ........................................................................................................ 41 e. H.R. 3575, Legally Binding Budget Act of 2011 ..................................... 44 f. H.R. 3521, Expedited Legislative Line-Item Veto and Recissions Act of 2011 ........................................................................................................ 46 g. H.R. 2309, Postal Reform Act of 2011 ..................................................... 47 V. Activities of the Subcomittees ............................................................................ 51 A. Activities of the Subcommittee on Legislative and Budget Process ............ 51 1. Jurisdiction and Purpose ............................................................................. 51 iv VerDate Mar 15 2010 04:38 Jul 03, 2012 Jkt 019006 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 0486 Sfmt 0486 E:\HR\OC\HR567.XXX HR567 pwalker on DSK7TPTVN1PROD with REPORTS Page A. Activities of the Subcommittee on Legislative and Budget Process— Continued 2. Summary of Activities in the 112th Congress ........................................... 51 a. H.R. 114, Biennial Budgeting and Appropriations Act of 2011 ............ 51 3. Legislation Referred to the Subcommittee on Legislative and Budget Process ........................................................................................................... 52 B. Activities of the Subcommittee on Rules and Organization of the House .. 52 1. Jurisdiction and Purpose ............................................................................. 52 2. Summary of Activities in the 112th Congress ........................................... 52 3. Legislation Referred to the Subcommittee on Rules and Organization of the House .................................................................................................. 53 VI. Statistical Profile of the Committee on Rules through May 31, 2012 .......... 54 A. Statistics on Special Orders or Rules ............................................................ 54 B. Statistics on Original Jurisdiction Measures ................................................ 55 VII. Publications .....................................................................................................