[Constitution, Jefferson's Manual, and the Rules of the House of Representatives, 105th Congress] [105th Congress] [House Document 104-272] [Rules of the House of Representatives] [Pages 356-358] [From the U.S. Government Printing Office, www.gpo.gov] Rule VIII. duties of the members.
Sec. 656. Members required to be present and vote. |
1. Every
Member shall be present within the Hall of the House during its
sittings, unless excused or necessarily prevented; and shall vote on
each question put, unless he has a direct < |
Sec. 658. Member's control of his own vote. | It has been found impracticable to enforce the provision requiring every Member to vote (V, 5942-5948), and such question, even if entertained, may not interrupt a pending rollcall vote (V, 5947). The weight of authority also favors the idea that there is no authority in the House to deprive |
Sec. 659. Nature of disqualifying personal interest. | It is a principle of ``immemorial observance'' that a Member should withdraw when a question concerning himself arises (V, 5949); but it has been held that the disqualifying interest must be such as affects the Member directly (V, 5954, 5955, 5963), and not as one of a class (V, 5952; VIII, 3071, 3072; Speaker Bankhead, May 31, 1939, pp. 6359-60; Speaker Albert, Dec. 2, 1975, p. 38135). In a case where question affected the titles of several Members to their seats, each refrained from voting in his own case, but did vote on the identical cases of his associates (V, 5957, 5958). And while a Member should not vote on the direct questions affecting himself, he has sometimes voted on incidental questions (V, 5960, 5961). |
Sec. 660a. Pairs. | 2. Pairs shall be announced by the Clerk immediately before the announcement by the Chair of the result of the vote, by the House or Committee of the Whole from a written list furnished him, and signed by the Member making the statement to the Clerk, which list shall be published in the Record as a part of the proceedings, immediately following the names of those not voting. However, pairs shall be announced but once during the same legislative day. |
Sec. 660b. Voting. | 3. (a) A Member may not authorize any other individual to cast his vote or record his presence in the House or Committee of the Whole. |