6-15-2023 11:46pm

What Are "Suspension" Votes?

Beth Callahan Editor

WARREN COUNTY, OH -- At the beginning of each session week, Congress starts off voting on several bills that have broad bipartisan support. These are called "suspensions" because the House suspends the typical rules that accompany a vote, so they go pretty quickly.

They're held at the very beginning of each voting session, sort of as an attendance marker to make sure members of Congress show up on time. It takes a two-thirds majority to pass a bill under suspension.

Other votes are pursuant to a rule: either a closed rule, which means there are no amendments, a structured rule, which means there are a limited number of amendments chosen by the Rules Committee, or an open rule, which means any member can offer an amendment.

Here are this week's suspensions:

H.R. 272, Calling on Russia to immediately release U.S. citizen Paul Whelan.
H.R. 377, Calling on Russia to immediately release Evan Gershkovich, a U.S. citizen and journalist who was wrongfully detained.
H.R. 3099, This bill would establish the position of Special Envoy for the Abraham Accords within the Department of State.
H.R. 662, This bill would authorize the Department of Agriculture to provide block grants to states and territories to assist agricultural producers with climate related losses.
S.467, CADETS Act, expanding age requirements for the Student Incentive Payments Program for military academy attendees.

I voted yes on all of these. They are all common sense legislation with broad bipartisan support.