Suspension of the rules

Suspension of the rules is a House procedure for passing bills quickly. On designated days, a member moves to "suspend the rules and pass" a bill. Debate is limited to 40 minutes, no floor amendments are allowed, and passage requires a two-thirds vote of members present.

Because of the high threshold, it is generally used for measures with broad bipartisan support, such as naming post offices, minor technical bills and many narrowly drawn policies. The majority leadership decides which bills to bring up this way, so bills can bypass the House Rules Committee. Members of the minority sometimes find it a faster route to a vote for bills that attract bipartisan backing.

Suspension is also used for larger bills when leaders expect to win support from both parties but not enough from their own to adopt a rule, as with some spending deals. Conservatives have criticized the use of suspension for major legislation, arguing it prevents amendments and thorough debate. Supporters say it saves floor time for contested bills. Using it for a large appropriations measure is seen as a departure from regular order.