Providing for the announcement of pairs from a written list furnished to the Clerk, and for other purposes.
- Bill Number
- H.Res. 293
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Congress
- Status
- Passed House
- Latest Action
- 2025-04-08: Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 294, H. Res. 293 is considered passed House. (consideration: CR H1481; text: CR H1481)
- Last Updated
- 2026-07-11T21:14:49Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
This House Resolution (H. Res. 293) establishes the procedure for announcing "pairs" during voting in the U.S. House of Representatives for the 119th Congress. Pairs refer to informal agreements between members (often one present and one absent) to vote the same way on opposite sides of an issue, allowing absent members to offset their absence without changing the vote outcome.
Key Provisions
- The Clerk of the House must announce pairs immediately before the Chair declares the vote result in the House or its Committee of the Whole.
- Announcements are based on a written list provided to the Clerk and signed by the member making the statement.
- The signed list must be published in the Congressional Record (the official record of House proceedings) right after the names of members who did not vote.
- Pairs can be announced only once during the same legislative day (a single day of House business sessions).
Significant Changes to Existing Law
This resolution does not introduce major substantive changes but formalizes and standardizes the announcement process for pairs specifically for the 119th Congress (beginning in 2025). It reaffirms existing House practices under congressional rules, ensuring consistency without altering broader voting laws or precedents.
Potential Impacts
- On government agencies: Minimal direct impact, but it streamlines internal House procedures, potentially making voting records more efficient to process for the Clerk's office.
- On citizens: Indirect and limited; it promotes transparency in how Congress handles member absences during votes, which could build public trust in legislative accountability without affecting everyday citizens.
- On international relations: No impact, as this is a purely domestic procedural rule for U.S. House operations.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Members of the House of Representatives: Directly impacts how they report and record voting pairs, especially for those who are absent.
- Clerk of the House: Responsible for handling, announcing, and publishing the pairs, increasing their administrative duties slightly for accuracy and record-keeping.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal/Constitutional: This is a procedural resolution under House rules, which derive from Article I of the U.S. Constitution (granting each chamber authority to set its own rules). It has no binding effect outside the House and does not raise constitutional challenges.
- Political: Enhances transparency by requiring signed, written documentation and public publication, reducing potential for disputes over informal agreements. It could subtly influence voting dynamics by limiting announcements to once per day, encouraging members to coordinate pairs efficiently. No broader political controversies are evident in the text.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Rep. Luna, Anna Paulina [R-FL-13]
Recent Actions
- 2025-04-08: Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 294, H. Res. 293 is considered passed House. (consideration: CR H1481; text: CR H1481)
- 2025-04-08: Passed/agreed to in House: Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 294, H. Res. 293 is considered passed House.
- 2025-04-07: Referred to the House Committee on Rules.
- 2025-04-07: Submitted in House
- 2025-04-07: Submitted in House
Bill Versions
- Providing for the announcement of pairs from a written list furnished to the Clerk, and for other purposes. — issued 2025-04-08 — PDF (1 pages)
- Providing for the announcement of pairs from a written list furnished to the Clerk, and for other purposes. — issued 2025-04-07 — PDF (2 pages)