What is a Motion on Ordering the Previous Question on the Rule?
Defeating the previous question gives the minority party the opportunity to decide what bill or amendments the House will consider. When the motion for the previous question is defeated, control of the time passes to the Member who led the opposition to ordering the previous question. That Member, because he or she then controls the time, may offer an amendment to the rule, or yield for the purpose of amendment. In essence, defeat of the previous question gives the minority party control of the floor and of the schedule for the U.S. House of Representatives, pertaining to the Rule that is being debated.
Politico's David Rogers writes of the significance and impact of Previous Question votes here.
Previous Questions marked with an "*" are one rule that brought multiple bills to the floor.
| Bill | Rule | Date | Previous Questions (PQ) | Text | Vote (Y-N) |
| H.R. 1911 | H. Res. 232 | 5/23/13 | The Previous Question would amend the rule to allow for consideration of the “Veterans Backlog Reduction Act” (H.R. 1739) to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to pay provisional benefits for certain nonadjudicated claims, and for other purposes. | 224-195 | |
| H.R. 807 | H. Res. 202 | 5/8/2013 | The Previous Question would amend the rule to allow for consideration of the “Student Loan Relief Act of 2013” (H.R. 1595) to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to extend the reduced interest rate for Federal Direct Stafford Loans. | 227-199 | |
| H.R. 1406 | H. Res. 198 | 5/7/2013 | The Previous Question would amend the rule to allow for consideration of the “Paycheck Fairness Act” (H.R. 377) which bolsters the Equal Pay Act by closing loopholes and imposing effective penalties on employers who discriminate based on gender. | 230-198 | |
| H.R. 1549 | H. Res. 175 | 4/24/2013 | The Previous Question would amend the rule to allow for consideration of the Put America Back to Work Act (H.R. 535), which permanently extends the Build America Bonds program. | 228-192 | |
| H.R. 1120 | H. Res. 146 | 4/11/2013 | The Previous Question would amend the rule to allow for consideration of the Paycheck Fairness Act (H.R. 377), which strengthens the Equal Pay Act by closing loopholes and imposing effective penalties on employers who discriminate based on gender. | 226-192 | |
| H.R. 678 | H. Res. 140 | 4/10/2013 | The Previous Question would amend the rule to allow for consideration of the “Big Oil Welfare Repeal Act” (H.R. 1426) to end tax breaks to Big Oil. | 263-190 | |
| H.R. 933 | H. Res. 99 | 3/6/13 | The Previous Question would bring up a bill to replace the entire sequester with a balanced approach that protects our most vulnerable citizens while instituting the Buffett Rule, eliminating agriculture direct payments, and cutting large subsidies for oil companies and also allow for consideration of a bill prohibiting Members of Congress from receiving any automatic pay adjustments through the end of the 113th Congress. | 227-188 | |
| S. 47 | H. Res. 83 | 2/27/13 | The Previous Question would bring up a bill to replace the entire sequester with a balanced approach that protects our most vulnerable citizens while instituting the Buffett Rule, eliminating agriculture direct payments, and cutting large subsidies for oil companies. | 229-196 | |
| H.R. 273 | H. Res. 66 | 2/14/13 | The Previous Question would bring up a bill to replace the entire sequester with a balanced approach that protects our most vulnerable citizens while instituting the Buffett Rule, eliminating agriculture direct payments, and cutting large subsidies for oil companies. | 229-194 | |
| H.R. 444 | H. Res. 48 | 2/5/13 | The Previous Question would bring up a bill to replace the entire sequester with a balanced approach that protects our most vulnerable citizens while instituting the Buffett Rule, eliminating agriculture direct payments, and cutting large subsidies for oil companies. | 229-188 | |
| H.Res.5 | N/A | 1/3/13 | The Previous Question would bring up a Constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United and allow state and federal governments to limit the influence of money in politics. | 227-191 |
