THE NEED FOR SPECIAL RULES

Arranging the House schedule. Without special rules, measures referred to either the House or Union calendars must be taken up in the order in which they are listed on those calendars.

Resolving the House into the Committee of the Whole. Without adoption of a special rule, the Speaker would not have the authority to resolve the House into the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union, where the procedures allow more Members to participate in debate and offer amendments. Appropriation bills are always considered in the Committee of the Whole.

Facilitating consideration of legislation. Special rules make floor consideration of specific legislation in order; limit and assign control of general debate time; govern the number and types of amendments to be offered; waive points of order, if necessary, against provisions of a bill or against amendments that violate House rules; and facilitate resolving differences with the Senate. Appropriation bills often contain provisions in violation of House rules such as those prohibiting legislating on appropriation measures and prohibiting appropriations for unauthorized programs.

Arbitrating legislative disputes among committees. When two or more committees report differing versions of a bill, a special rule is needed to determine which committee substitute, or if an alternatively negotiated substitute, will be made in order as the original bill for purposes of amendment. In the appropriations process such disputes often arise between the Appropriations Committee who job is to fund a program and the Legislative Committee whose job is to authorize it.