115th Congress Previous Questions

What is a Motion on Ordering the Previous Question on the Rule?

Defeating the previous question gives the minority party the opportunity to decide what bill or amendments the House will consider. When the motion for the previous question is defeated, control of the time passes to the Member who led the opposition to ordering the previous question. That Member, because he or she then controls the time, may offer an amendment to the rule, or yield for the purpose of amendment. In essence, defeat of the previous question gives the minority party control of the floor and of the schedule for the U.S. House of Representatives, pertaining to the Rule that is being debated.

Politico’s David Rogers writes of the significance and impact of Previous Question votes here.

Previous Questions marked with an “*” are one rule that brought multiple bills to the floor.

Bill Rule Date Previous Questions (PQ) Text Vote
H.R. 33 H.Res. 356 1/10/17 The Democratic Previous Question would bring up HR 356, the Protecting Our Democracy Act, legislation by Swalwell-Cummings and co-sponsored by all House Democrats, to create a bipartisan, independent commission to investigate foreign interference in the U.S. elections and understand how Russia attacked our democratic institutions so we can ensure it never happens again. .pdf 234-179
H.R. 26 H.Res. 23 1/5/17 The Democratic Previous Question would offer a resolution by Congressman David Price that affirms the unbreakable bond between the United States and Israel and highlight America’s historical commitment to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a bipartisan consensus that has long guided U.S. policy. .pdf 190-235
H.R. 5 1/3/17 The Democratic Previous Question, offered by Congresswoman Louise Slaughter and Congressman Richard Neal, would prevent any legislation from being considered that would:

  • Deny health coverage or require higher premiums due to pre-existing conditions;
  • Allow life-time limits on health coverage;
  • Prevent individuals under age 26 from being covered under their parents’ plans;
  • Reduce the number of people receiving health care under ACA;
  • Increase costs to seniors by re-opening the donut hole and raising prescription drug costs;
  • Require people to pay for preventive services, including cancer screenings;
  • Reduce Medicare solvency or change the Medicare guarantee; or
  • Reduce federal taxes on the 1 percent of the population with the highest incomes or increase taxes on the 80 percent of hard-working Americans earning moderate to low incomes.
 237-193
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