1 Union Calendar No. 604 110TH CONGRESS " ! REPORT 2d Session HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 110–931 SURVEY OF ACTIVITIES OF THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON RULES 110TH CONGRESS R E P O R T OF THE COMMITTEE ON RULES TOGETHER WITH MINORITY VIEWS JANUARY 2, 2009.—Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 79–006 WASHINGTON : 2009 VerDate Nov 24 2008 02:11 Jan 07, 2009 Jkt 079006 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4012 Sfmt 4012 E:\HR\OC\HR931.XXX HR931 smartinez on PROD1PC64 with REPORTS E:\Seals\Congress.#13 COMMITTEE ON RULES LOUISE MCINTOSH SLAUGHTER, New York, Chairwoman JAMES P. MCGOVERN, Massachusetts, Vice DAVID DREIER, California Chair LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART, Florida ALCEE L. HASTINGS, Florida DOC HASTINGS, Washington DORIS O. MATSUI, California PETE SESSIONS, Texas DENNIS A. CARDOZA, California PETER WELCH, Vermont KATHY CASTOR, Florida MICHAEL A. ARCURI, New York BETTY SUTTON, Ohio DAN TURTON, Staff Director HUGH NATHANIAL HALPERN, Minority Staff Director SUBCOMMITTEE ON LEGISLATIVE AND BUDGET PROCESS ALCEE L. HASTINGS, Florida, Chairman DENNIS A. CARDOZA, California LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART, Florida PETER WELCH, Vermont DAVID DREIER, California BETTY SUTTON, Ohio LOUISE MCINTOSH SLAUGHTER, New York DAVID GOLDENBERG, Staff Director CESAR GONZALEZ, Minority Staff Director SUBCOMMITTEE ON RULES AND ORGANIZATION OF THE HOUSE JAMES P. MCGOVERN, Massachusetts, Chairman DORIS O. MATSUI, California DOC HASTINGS, Washington KATHY CASTOR, Florida PETE SESSIONS, Texas MICHAEL A. ARCURI, New York LOUISE MCINTOSH SLAUGHTER, New York KEITH L. STERN, Staff Director TODD YOUNG, Minority Staff Director * This survey was the product of diligence and hard work by a number of professional staff. A special acknowledgement of their efforts go to Dan Turton, Muftiah McCartin, Sophie Hayford, Sampak Garg, Don Sisson, Adam Berg, Tim Sheehan, Sonny Sinha, Tony Abate, Stefanie Winzeler, Sadie Marshall, Gary Johnson, and George Agurkis. (ii) VerDate Nov 24 2008 02:11 Jan 07, 2009 Jkt 079006 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 5905 Sfmt 5905 E:\HR\OC\HR931.XXX HR931 smartinez on PROD1PC64 with REPORTS LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, COMMITTEE ON RULES, Washington, DC, December 31, 2008. Hon. LORRAINE C. MILLER, Clerk, United States House of Representatives, Washington, DC. DEAR MS. MILLER: Pursuant to clause 1(d) of rule XI of the Rules of the House of Representatives for the 110th Congress, I present herewith a report entitled ‘‘Survey of Activities of the House Com- mittee on Rules, 110th Congress.’’ Sincerely, LOUISE M. SLAUGHTER, Chairwoman. (III) VerDate Nov 24 2008 02:11 Jan 07, 2009 Jkt 079006 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 7633 Sfmt 7633 E:\HR\OC\HR931.XXX HR931 smartinez on PROD1PC64 with REPORTS VerDate Nov 24 2008 02:11 Jan 07, 2009 Jkt 079006 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 7633 Sfmt 7633 E:\HR\OC\HR931.XXX HR931 smartinez on PROD1PC64 with REPORTS C O N T E N T S 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 110th Congress .......................... 5 D. Rules Committee on the Internet .......................................................... 6 E. Rules of the Committee on Rules ........................................................... 7 II. House Rules Changes Adopted at the Beginning of the 110th Congress 15 A. Introduction ............................................................................................. 15 B. Summary of Substantive Changes Contained in H. Res. 6, Adopting House Rules for the 110th Congress .................................................... 16 III. Committee Oversight Plan ............................................................................ 18 IV. Committee Jurisdiction and Activities ......................................................... 19 A. Introduction ............................................................................................. 19 B. Special Orders or Rules .......................................................................... 20 1. Rule Requests ................................................................................... 20 2. Hearings ............................................................................................ 21 3. Types of Special Orders or Rules .................................................... 22 a. Background ................................................................................ 22 b. Categories of rules granted with amendment structures ....... 22 (1) Open Rules ........................................................................ 22 (2) Structured Rules ............................................................... 22 (3) Closed Rules ...................................................................... 22 c. Categories of rules granted with certain floor management tools .......................................................................................... 23 (1) Expedited Procedure Rules .............................................. 23 (2) Suspension Day Rules ...................................................... 23 (3) Chairman’s En Bloc Authority Rules .............................. 23 d. Categories of rules granted to resolve differences among and responding to the legislative actions of committees ...... 24 (1) Self-Executing Rules ......................................................... 24 (2) Original Text Rules ........................................................... 24 e. Categories of rules granted dealing with House-Senate rela- tions .......................................................................................... 24 (1) Senate Hook-up Rules ...................................................... 24 (2) Motion to go to Conference Rules .................................... 25 (3) Disposition of Senate Amendment Rules ........................ 25 (4) Conference Report Rules .................................................. 25 (5) Engrossment of Multiple Measures Rules ...................... 25 4. Floor Consideration of a Special Rule ............................................. 25 5. Rules Rejected, Tabled or Pending .................................................. 26 a. Rules Rejected by the House .................................................... 26 b. Rules Tabled by the House ....................................................... 26 c. Rules Pending ............................................................................ 29 6. Waivers of House Rules ................................................................... 29 7. Waivers of the Budget Act (except for the unfunded mandate point of order under section 425 and 426 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974) ........................................................................ 39 8. Waiving All Points of Order ............................................................. 39 C. Original Jurisdiction Matter .................................................................. 44 1. Committee Consideration of Original Jurisdiction Measures ....... 44 2. Original Jurisdiction Full Committee Hearings ............................ 44 3. Original Jurisdiction Measures Reported or Discharged .............. 45 a. Crandall Canyon Mine accident: congressional investigation into the deaths of nine individuals ........................................ 45 (V) VerDate Nov 24 2008 02:11 Jan 07, 2009 Jkt 079006 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 E:\HR\OC\HR931.XXX HR931 smartinez on PROD1PC64 with REPORTS VI Page C. Original Jurisdiction Matter—Continued 3. Original Jurisdiction Measures Reported or Discharged—Con- tinued b. United States-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement: pro- tecting congressional prerogatives ......................................... 45 c. Medicare spending: protecting congressional prerogatives .... 46 d. Earmark reform ......................................................................... 47 e. Judicial impeachment ............................................................... 47 f. Ethics reform .............................................................................. 48 4. Other Original Jurisdiction Measures Subject to Floor Consider- ation ................................................................................................. 48 a. Permitting Delegates and the Resident Commissioner to the Congress to cast votes in the Committee of the Whole . 48 b. Authorizing the Committee on the Judiciary to initiate or intervene in judicial proceedings to enforce certain sub- poenas ....................................................................................... 49 c. Establishing an Office of Congressional Ethics ........................ 50 V. Activities of the Subcommittees ................................................................... 50 A. The Subcommittee on Legislative and Budget Process ........................ 50 1. Jurisdiction and Purpose ................................................................. 50 2. Legislation Referred to the Subcommittee on Legislative and Budget Process ................................................................................ 51 House Resolutions .......................................................................... 51 House Bills .....................................................................................