COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
In order to expedite the consideration
of bills and resolutions, the rules of the House provide for a parliamentary
mechanism, known as the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the
All measures on the Union Calendar, including those involving a tax, making appropriations, authorizing payments out of appropriations already made, or disposing of property, must be first considered in the Committee of the Whole. The Committee on Rules reports a rule allowing for immediate consideration of a measure by the Committee of the Whole. After adoption of the rule by the House, the Speaker may declare the House resolved into the Committee of the Whole.
When the House resolves into the Committee of the Whole, the Speaker leaves the chair after appointing a Chairman to preside.
The rule referred to in the preceding paragraph also fixes the length of the debate in the Committee of the Whole. This may vary according to the importance of the measure. As provided in the rule, the control of the time is usually divided equally between the chairman and the ranking minority member of the relevant committee. Members seeking to speak for or against the measure may arrange in advance with the Member in control of the time on their respective side to be allowed a certain amount of time in the debate.
Members may also ask the Member speaking at the time to yield to them for a question or a brief statement. A transcript of the proceedings in the House and the Senate is printed daily in the Congressional Record. Frequently, permission is granted a Member by unanimous consent to revise and extend his remarks in the Congressional Record if sufficient time to make a lengthy oral statement is not available during actual debate.
These revisions and extensions are printed in a distinctive type and cannot substantively alter the verbatim transcript. The conduct of the debate is governed principally by the rules of the House that are adopted at the opening of each Congress. Most parliamentary questions arising during the course of debate are responded to by a ruling based on a precedent of action in a similar situation.
The Parliamentarian of the House is present in the House
Chamber in order to assist the Speaker or the Chairman in making a correct
ruling on parliamentary questions.