Passed
220 Yea199 Nay11 Not voting1/2 required
HRES-1140-119
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
Sponsored by Donald Norcross (D-NJ)
What it does
H. Res. 1140 is a procedural "rule" resolution that would set the terms for how the House of Representatives considers H.R. 5408, a separate bill aimed at accelerating the time it takes for workers and employers to reach a first contract under the National Labor Relations Act. The resolution would waive all procedural objections to H.R. 5408, limit floor debate to one hour split equally between the majority and minority, allow one motion to recommit, and require the House Clerk to transmit the passed bill to the Senate within three calendar days.
Who benefits
The majority party in the House, which gains a streamlined path to pass H.R. 5408 with limited procedural obstacles. Supporters of faster first-contract timelines under the NLRA — including labor unions and workers in newly organized bargaining units — would benefit if H.R. 5408 ultimately becomes law. Legislators seeking a quick floor vote benefit from the expedited timeline.
Who is hurt
The minority party in the House loses the ability to raise procedural points of order that might otherwise slow or block consideration of H.R. 5408. Members who wish to offer amendments to H.R. 5408 are foreclosed from doing so under this closed rule. Employers and business groups opposed to the underlying bill's labor contract provisions would be indirectly affected if the expedited process helps H.R. 5408 advance.
Supporters argue
Supporters argue that structured rules resolutions are a routine and necessary tool for managing House floor time efficiently, and that this resolution follows standard practice by providing equal debate time to both parties. They contend that waiving points of order prevents procedural delay tactics from blocking a bill that has already cleared committee review, allowing the full House to vote on the merits of H.R. 5408 without obstruction.
Opponents argue
Opponents argue that a closed rule — one that waives all points of order and bars amendments — limits the ability of members to improve or scrutinize H.R. 5408 on the floor, reducing legislative transparency and accountability. They contend that waiving procedural safeguards that exist to protect minority rights and ensure deliberation sets a precedent for bypassing meaningful debate on consequential labor policy changes.
Constitutional context
This is a procedural resolution governing internal House operations, which falls squarely within Congress's constitutional authority to determine its own rules of proceeding under Article I, Section 5, Clause 2. No Commerce Clause, agency authority, or other substantive constitutional provisions are implicated by the procedural resolution itself.
Checks and balances
The House Rules Committee, which drafted this resolution, gains procedural control over floor consideration; the minority retains one motion to recommit and one hour of shared debate time as the primary checks on majority power in this process.
Historical precedent
Structured rules resolutions waiving points of order and limiting amendments are a routine feature of House floor procedure, used hundreds of times per Congress across both parties when in the majority.
Passed
Passed