Hoyer calls for House voting rule to be scrapped

Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) on Tuesday called for the elimination of the House rule that prohibits holding votes open for the purpose of changing the outcome.

“Rule 2(a) is not enforceable,” Hoyer told the Select Committee to Investigate the Voting Irregularities of Aug. 2, 2007, adding that he would not be opposed to a committee recommendation to eliminate that rule.

{mosads}Rep. Bill Delahunt (D-Mass.), the select committee chairman, said in his opening statement that he agrees with Hoyer.

“I do have a sense that — when the dust settles — that as we consider the events of the evening with the advantage of hindsight and a calm perspective, a culprit will emerge,” he said. “A culprit in the form of a rule … a rule that was enacted with noble intent, to curb other perceived abuses … but a rule that is at best difficult and at worst the catalyst for the raw anger we observed on Aug. 2,” he said.

The rule was adopted last year by Democrats, who cited the November 2003 Medicare drug bill vote that was held open for nearly three hours as GOP leaders twisted arms and President Bush was awakened to make calls to members before dawn.

Since taking over the majority, House Democrats have also urged their members to change votes in tight roll calls. Democrats held open a procedural vote on ethics legislation in March as several members changed their votes.

The Aug. 2, 2007 vote was on a motion to recommit an agriculture spending bill and Republicans appeared to have the votes.

Rep. Michael McNulty (D-N.Y.), who presided in the Speaker’s chair during the 2007 vote, also testified on Tuesday and apologized for having gaveled the Republican amendment closed when the voting tally reached a 214­-214 deadlock. The electronic tally board in the chamber showed the amendment winning by a margin of 215-213 when it was gaveled.

“To summarize, I called this vote prematurely, and that action caused a measure of chaos, confusion and anger on the House floor,” he said. “The morning after the event, I publicly apologized on the House floor to all the members of the House of Representatives. I repeat that apology today.”

McNulty, who has presided over the House hundreds of times during his two decades in the lower chamber, pointed out that members are often afforded extra time for a vote depending on whether an event is occurring at the time, such as a White House visit.

Republicans have cried foul over the 2007 vote. Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) said the “chaos of Aug. 2, 2007 was a dark moment in the history of the United States House of Representatives and must never be allowed to happen again.”