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Rules Committee approves closed rule for H.R. 556 and other bills after debate; amendment to limit debate on balanced-budget measure fails
Summary
The House Rules Committee voted to report a closed rule packaging H.R. 556, H.R. 1958 and H.R. 4638. An amendment by Rep. McGovern to remove extended debate time for a balanced-budget resolution was rejected (voice vote and roll call showed two yeas and six nays on the roll call); the committee then agreed to the gentleman's motion to report and adjourned.
The House Rules Committee approved a closed rule that would govern floor consideration of several measures, including H.R. 556 (Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act), H.R. 1958 (Reporting Fraudsters Act of 2026) and H.R. 4638 (Bow Wow Act of 2025).
Representative Mr. Griffith (the gentleman from Virginia) moved the motion describing closed procedures: waivers of points of order against the bills as amended, adoption of committee substitutes as printed, one hour of general debate equally divided and one motion to recommit for each bill. The motion text (read into the record) also provided for extended debate on H.J.Res.139 (a proposed balanced-budget constitutional amendment) under clause one of Rule 15 if the House were to suspend the rules.
Representative Jim McGovern offered an amendment to strike section four of the rule, which would have removed the provision extending debate time for H.J.Res.139. McGovern argued Republicans were using closed processes while failing to address fiscal matters through regular reconciliation and that the amendment was necessary to protect programs like Social Security and Medicare from potential cuts. He urged members to support his motion to strike.
The chair put the amendment to a voice vote; she ruled the noes had it and McGovern requested a roll call. The clerk's roll-call announcement in the record notes two yeas and six nays; the amendment was not agreed to.
The committee then voted on the gentleman's motion to report the closed rule; the chair announced the motion was agreed to and that she would manage the rule for the majority. The committee adjourned without further business.
Note on the transcript record: the hearing transcript records the outcomes described above but contains inconsistencies in the numeric roll-call wording for the final roll call; the committee chair's announcement that the motion "is agreed to" is the controlling procedural outcome recorded in the hearing minutes.
