Replies

Thanks for the list. Going through them one by one, it doesn't look like any of them are applicable to this bill:

Amendment to the Constitution.

We can safely rule that out in this instance.

Passage of a bill over a veto.

Two words: President Bush. 'Nuff said.

Dispensing with Calendar Wednesday.

I'm not sure what that is, exactly. Does it mean that bills passed on a Wednesday have to have a two-thirds majority? Does that mean they can wait till Thursday or Friday and pass it with just a simple majority? I'm guessing that this isn't what was at issue here.

Dispensing with the call of the Private Calendar.

Sounds like a scheduling thing to me, not anything to do with a bill.

Same-day consideration of reports from the Committee on Rules.

Again, this Committe on Rules sounds like it has to do only with the internal affairs of the House, not with actual bills coming before it.

Suspension of the rules.

Well, this might be applicable, if they were attempting to pass the bill under suspension of the rules. But why wouldn't they just follow the rules, then, and pass it the right way?

Expulsion of a Member.

Sounds good to me. Anybody got a list going?

Removal of political disabilities.

This is the one about the disability of people to serve in government who'd adhered to the enemies of the U.S., right? That is just sooo 19th century.