House Rules-Committee of the Whole
The House of Representatives’ Committee of the Whole is comprised of at least any 100 of the 435 members of the House of Representatives and is where most public debate takes place on particular parts of legislation. One hundred members is the quorum required to conduct business int the Committee of the Whole. Without at least 100 members-a quorum–present, business may be stopped upon the demand of any member who gets the attention of the Chairman of the Committee the Whole House to point out the absence of a quorum. Only parts of bills (sections or paragraphs) are voted on in the Committee of the Whole. Final passage of bills occurs after the Committee of the Whole “rises” and reports the bill to the full House when the entire House membership meets, and there a quorum necessary to do business in the full House of Representatives consists of any 218 members who answer to a demand for a quorum call.
First, there is general debate on a bill in the Committee of the Whole?usually an hour. Next, the Committee of the Whole operates under a rule governing the terms under which the bill is considered i.e. whether or what kind of amendments may be offered and where in the bill, or if points of order may be made against sections of the bill. Then the bill is read for amendment one section at a time. (Appropriations bills are read by paragraphs.) If the bill is brought to the House Floor without a “rule” the bill may be amended at any part under general parliamentary rules. Usually Members offer amendments to a section or paragraph while that part of the bill is being read or designated by Title, but before the next section or paragraph is reached. This means Members must be present on the House floor and they must seek recognition by the Chair at the right time. The Chair has the exclusive power to recognize Members who wish to offer amendments.
Amendments that were suggested by the committee reporting the bill are automatically considered and do not have to be offered from the floor. A special rule may provide that if a committee amendment is adopted, it becomes part of the underlying text of the bill thus allowing other members the ability to offer amendments to that part of the bill. Normally, the Chair will recognize members with amendments to that section once it is adopted. If a special rule allows a Member to offer an amendment, he then pre-prints it in the Congressional Record and the Chair grants him recognition to offer the amendment at the appropriate time. While this assures that his amendment will be considered, it eliminates the element of surprise.
A Member who wants to get his other colleagues “on the record” has to have his demand for a recorded vote seconded by 24 other Members (total 25) who stand in support of the request. Amendments must be related to those portions of the bill which are being amended.
After the Committee of the Whole “rises” and reports the bill to the House, the entire House of Representatives must vote on agreeing to the amendments that were adopted by the Committee of the Whole before voting on the final passage of the bill.