“Under suspension of the rules” refers to a process in the House of Representatives where a bill or resolution is considered without following all the regular rules and procedures that normally govern the legislative process.
This process is used for bills or resolutions that are deemed to be non-controversial or urgent and are expected to receive quick and unanimous approval from the House.
The suspension of the rules is intended to expedite the legislative process and allow the House to move quickly to other business.
When a bill is considered under suspension of the rules, the regular rules of the House, such as the requirement for a bill to be referred to committee, the requirement for multiple readings, and the requirement for debate, are suspended.
This means that the bill can be considered and voted on immediately, without the need for the normal delays and formalities.
The suspension of the rules is often used for bills that are considered to be non-controversial, such as bills that commemorate special events or recognize the achievements of individuals or organizations.
In order for a bill to be considered under suspension of the rules, a motion to suspend the rules must be made and must be passed by a two-thirds vote of the House. This means that at least 290 members of the House must vote in favor of the suspension in order for it to be approved.
The motion to suspend the rules must be made prior to the consideration of the bill, and it must be approved before the bill can be voted on.
Once the motion to suspend the rules has been approved, the bill is considered and debated for a limited period of time, typically 40 minutes.
During this time, members of the House are allowed to speak in favor of or against the bill. However, debate is limited, and the rules regarding debate are less strict than they would be under normal circumstances.
After the limited period of debate has ended, the House votes on the bill. If the bill is approved, it is sent to the Senate for consideration. If the bill is not approved, it is defeated and cannot be considered again in the same legislative session.
Use of “Under Suspension of the Rules” in a sentence
- The bill was passed under suspension of the rules, which allowed for its swift passage through the House of Representatives.
- The House voted to suspend the rules in order to consider the non-controversial resolution expeditiously.
- Despite objections from some members, the motion to consider the bill under suspension of the rules was approved by a two-thirds vote of the House.