This was on a roll call vote forced by the Republican minority on what is normally a routine procedure whereby the House of Representatives is formally reconstituted.

This procedural motion was that the “Committee of the Whole House”, which is technically an entity separate from the formal House of Representatives although it has the same composition, change back into the formal House of Representatives. Bills are typically debated and amended in the “Committee of the Whole House” and then sent to the formal House of Representatives for final passage. The motion to change from one entity to another is ordinarily routine and easily approved.

The Republican minority had been calling for roll call votes on many routine motions, such as this one, to express its displeasure to the way the majority Democrats had been handling legislation. The Republicans had been expressing their particular opposition to the limitations the Democrats had been placing on the number of amendments that could be offered to funding bills. Engaging in procedural and delaying techniques such as this was one of the few formal actions the Republicans could take to demonstrate their opposition.

The motion passed by a vote of 179-124. All one hundred and seventy-nine “aye’ votes were cast by Democrats. One other Democrat joined one hundred and twenty-three Republicans and voted “nay”. As a result, the House of Representatives was able to reconstitute itself.