Summary
This resolution establishes the formal rules governing how the House of Representatives operates during the 117th Congress. It introduces several administrative changes, such as making the Office of Diversity and Inclusion permanent, adopting gender-neutral language in official documents, and strengthening protections for whistleblowers and employees against harassment.
For the public, these rules impact how legislation is handled by allowing for remote operations during public health emergencies and increasing transparency through a new system for tracking Member support of Senate-passed bills. Additionally, the resolution adjusts budget accounting rules to make it easier for Congress to pass legislation addressing the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change without triggering certain automatic spending offsets. It also creates a new Select Committee on Economic Disparity and Fairness in Growth to study and propose policies regarding economic inequality.
AI-generated summary
Lifecycle of the Bill
Jan 4, 2021
HouseFailed
On Motion to Commit with Instructions
On Motion to Commit with Instructions
203 Yes
217 No
VoteHouse
On January 4, 2021, the House of Representatives voted on a procedural motion to "commit with instructions" regarding House Resolution 8, which established the formal rules governing how the House would operate during the 117th Congress. This specific motion was a final attempt by the minority party to amend the proposed rules package before its official adoption; however, the motion failed, allowing the House to proceed to a final vote on the rules as originally drafted. House Resolution 8 serves as the foundational "operating manual" for the chamber, covering everything from committee structures and ethics regulations to how legislation is debated and voted upon. The vote followed a strict party-line split, with all 203 Republicans voting in favor of the motion to change the rules and all 217 Democrats voting against it, reflecting the standard procedural divide often seen at the start of a new congressional term.
Jan 4, 2021
HousePassed
Table Motion to Refer
Table Motion to Refer
214 Yes
196 No
VoteHouse
On January 4, 2021, the House of Representatives voted to "table" (effectively kill) a motion that would have sent the proposed rules for the 117th Congress back to a committee for further review. By passing this motion 214–196, the House cleared a procedural hurdle, allowing the chamber to move forward with the immediate adoption of its governing rules. The underlying legislation, H.Res. 8, establishes the formal rules that dictate how the House of Representatives operates for its two-year term. These rules cover a wide range of functions, including how bills are debated, the structure of congressional committees, ethics requirements, and administrative procedures for daily business. The vote followed strict party lines, with all 214 "Yea" votes coming from Democrats and all 196 "Nay" votes coming from Republicans. This outcome reflects the standard practice where the majority party votes to approve its own
Jan 4, 2021
HousePassed
On Motion to Table the Motion to Postpone to a Day Certain
On Motion to Table the Motion to Postpone to a Day Certain
214 Yes
204 No
VoteMotion to TableHouse
On January 4, 2021, the House of Representatives voted to "table" (effectively kill) a motion that sought to delay the adoption of the House rules for the 117th Congress. By passing this procedural motion, the House moved forward with the immediate consideration and adoption of the governing rules for the new session rather than postponing the debate to a later date. The underlying legislation, H.Res. 8, establishes the formal rules that dictate how the House of Representatives operates, including procedures for floor debates, the structure of committees, and ethics requirements. This specific version of the rules included several changes, such as creating a permanent Office of Diversity and Inclusion, modifying "motion to recommit" procedures used by the minority party, and adopting gender-neutral language in official House communications. The vote followed strict party lines, with 214 Democrats voting in favor and 204 Republicans voting against. This outcome reflected a
Jan 4, 2021
HousePassed
On Ordering the Previous Question
On Ordering the Previous Question
217 Yes
204 No
VoteProceduralHouse
On January 4, 2021, the House of Representatives voted to "order the previous question" on House Resolution 8, a procedural step that ended debate and allowed for an immediate vote on adopting the official rules for the 117th Congress. The motion passed 217-204, effectively clearing the way for the majority party to establish the governing framework for how the House would operate, manage committees, and process legislation for the next two years. House Resolution 8 itself serves as the "operating manual" for the House of Representatives. It outlines everything from how bills are introduced and debated to specific administrative changes, such as the establishment of diversity and inclusion offices, the continuation of certain investigative committees, and modifications to ethics and transparency requirements. The vote followed strict party lines, with all 217 "Yea" votes coming from Democrats and all 204 "Nay" votes coming from Republicans. This outcome reflects
Jan 4, 2021
HouseFailed
On Motion to Commit with Instructions
On Motion to Commit with Instructions
203 Yes
217 No
VoteHouse
On January 4, 2021, the House of Representatives voted on a procedural motion to "commit with instructions" regarding House Resolution 8, which established the formal rules governing how the House would operate during the 117th Congress. This specific motion was a final attempt by the minority party to amend the proposed rules package before its official adoption; however, the motion failed, allowing the House to proceed to a final vote on the rules as originally drafted. House Resolution 8 serves as the foundational "operating manual" for the chamber, covering everything from committee structures and ethics regulations to how legislation is debated and voted upon. The vote followed a strict party-line split, with all 203 Republicans voting in favor of the motion to change the rules and all 217 Democrats voting against it, reflecting the standard procedural divide often seen at the start of a new congressional term.
Jan 4, 2021
HousePassed
Table Motion to Refer
Table Motion to Refer
214 Yes
196 No
VoteHouse
On January 4, 2021, the House of Representatives voted to "table" (effectively kill) a motion that would have sent the proposed rules for the 117th Congress back to a committee for further review. By passing this motion 214–196, the House cleared a procedural hurdle, allowing the chamber to move forward with the immediate adoption of its governing rules. The underlying legislation, H.Res. 8, establishes the formal rules that dictate how the House of Representatives operates for its two-year term. These rules cover a wide range of functions, including how bills are debated, the structure of congressional committees, ethics requirements, and administrative procedures for daily business. The vote followed strict party lines, with all 214 "Yea" votes coming from Democrats and all 196 "Nay" votes coming from Republicans. This outcome reflects the standard practice where the majority party votes to approve its own
Jan 4, 2021
HousePassed
On Motion to Table the Motion to Postpone to a Day Certain
On Motion to Table the Motion to Postpone to a Day Certain
214 Yes
204 No
VoteMotion to TableHouse
On January 4, 2021, the House of Representatives voted to "table" (effectively kill) a motion that sought to delay the adoption of the House rules for the 117th Congress. By passing this procedural motion, the House moved forward with the immediate consideration and adoption of the governing rules for the new session rather than postponing the debate to a later date. The underlying legislation, H.Res. 8, establishes the formal rules that dictate how the House of Representatives operates, including procedures for floor debates, the structure of committees, and ethics requirements. This specific version of the rules included several changes, such as creating a permanent Office of Diversity and Inclusion, modifying "motion to recommit" procedures used by the minority party, and adopting gender-neutral language in official House communications. The vote followed strict party lines, with 214 Democrats voting in favor and 204 Republicans voting against. This outcome reflected a
Jan 4, 2021
HousePassed
On Ordering the Previous Question
On Ordering the Previous Question
217 Yes
204 No
VoteProceduralHouse
On January 4, 2021, the House of Representatives voted to "order the previous question" on House Resolution 8, a procedural step that ended debate and allowed for an immediate vote on adopting the official rules for the 117th Congress. The motion passed 217-204, effectively clearing the way for the majority party to establish the governing framework for how the House would operate, manage committees, and process legislation for the next two years. House Resolution 8 itself serves as the "operating manual" for the House of Representatives. It outlines everything from how bills are introduced and debated to specific administrative changes, such as the establishment of diversity and inclusion offices, the continuation of certain investigative committees, and modifications to ethics and transparency requirements. The vote followed strict party lines, with all 217 "Yea" votes coming from Democrats and all 204 "Nay" votes coming from Republicans. This outcome reflects
