Home > Suspension of the rules

A motion to suspend the rules is in order on Mondays and Tuesdays and towards the end of a session of Congress and may only be made by the Speaker of the House, though it is customary for committee chairs to write the Speaker requesting a suspension. Under a suspension motion, debate is limited to 40 minutes and no amendments can be offered from the floor, while a 2/3 majority is required to pass the bill.

A suspension of the rules permits legislation to be brought immediately to the House floor even if it is last on the House calendar of scheduled legislation. Both political parties have internal rules against a suspension of the rules unless a bill has bipartisan support and costs less than $100 million.

References

• http://www.house.gov/rules/98-314.htm
• Sinclair, Barbara (1997). Unorthodox Lawmaking: New Legislative Processes in the U.S. Congress. CQ Press. BooksEnthsiast.com