Passed
213 Yea210 Nay8 Not voting1/2 required
HRES-992-119
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
Sponsored by Virginia Foxx (R-NC)
What it does
H. Res. 992 is a procedural "rule" resolution that would govern how the House of Representatives considers H.R. 7006, a consolidated appropriations bill for fiscal year 2026. It would waive all points of order against the bill and its provisions, limit general debate to one hour equally divided between the majority and minority, restrict amendments to only those pre-approved and listed in the Rules Committee report, and allow the Speaker to bring the bill to the floor at any time after the resolution's adoption.
Who benefits
The majority party in the House, which controls which amendments are permitted and can shape the bill's final form. House leadership, which gains scheduling flexibility through the open-ended floor timing provision. Appropriations Committee leadership, who control debate time. Government agencies and federal contractors whose FY2026 funding depends on passage of H.R. 7006. Federal employees and program beneficiaries who would receive continued funding certainty.
Who is hurt
Minority party members, who are limited to pre-approved amendments and cannot introduce floor amendments independently. Individual House members of either party who wish to offer amendments not included in the Rules Committee report. Advocacy groups and constituents whose policy priorities are not reflected in the pre-approved amendment list. Transparency-focused observers, as waiving points of order removes procedural safeguards that could otherwise slow or scrutinize the bill.
Supporters argue
Supporters argue that a structured rule is necessary to move a large, complex appropriations bill efficiently and prevent the floor process from becoming unmanageable through unlimited amendments. They contend that the Rules Committee process already provides a deliberative filter, and that the one-hour debate structure with equal time for both parties preserves meaningful minority participation while ensuring the government funding bill can advance before a potential lapse in appropriations.
Opponents argue
Opponents argue that waiving all points of order and restricting amendments to a pre-approved list concentrates power in the majority and the Rules Committee, effectively bypassing the full House's ability to shape major spending legislation. They contend that consolidated appropriations bills — which bundle hundreds of billions in spending — deserve open amendment processes, and that structured rules on such bills reduce accountability and limit the ability of individual members to represent their constituents' interests.
Constitutional context
No direct constitutional provision is implicated by this procedural resolution. The Constitution grants each chamber the authority to determine its own rules of proceeding under Article I, Section 5, Clause 2. This resolution is a routine exercise of that internal rulemaking power and does not raise Commerce Clause, Takings, or other substantive constitutional questions.
Checks and balances
The House majority gains procedural control over floor consideration of H.R. 7006; checks include the equal division of debate time between majority and minority Appropriations leaders, the requirement that amendments be pre-printed in the Rules Committee report, and the Senate's independent authority to amend or reject the underlying appropriations bill.
Historical precedent
The House Rules Committee routinely issues structured or closed rules for major appropriations bills; this resolution follows the standard procedural template used for consolidated appropriations measures in recent Congresses.
Passed
Passed