The motion to recommit in the House of Representatives proposes to send legislation under consideration on the floor back to committee. A Member may move to recommit a measure prior to a vote on final passage of a bill, providing a late-stage opportunity for a vote in relation to the legislation. Priority in recognition to offer the motion is given to an opponent of the measure, and the motion is considered to be a minority party right. The motion to recommit is one of the most common roll call votes taken on the House floor, as House rules guarantee the opportunity to offer the motion during initial consideration of a bill or joint resolution under the terms of a special rule. Specifically, the Committee on Rules cannot report a special rule that precludes the minority leader or a designee from moving to recommit the underlying legislation. Historically, a motion to recommit could include “instructions” that proposed to immediately amend a measure on the House floor. Oftentimes, the minority party would use such a motion to obtain a vote in connection to a favored policy. Since the 117th Congress, however, Members may no longer use a recommittal motion to directly propose changes to a legislative text. Nevertheless, minority Members often connect the vote on the motion to recommit to a policy proposal during general debate on the bill. They sometimes present an amendment they would like to have offered, if allowed, or that they would like the committee to consider if the motion to recommit is successful.
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