109th Congress / House / 1st session / Vote 6
- Question: On Agreeing to the Resolution
- Bill: H RES 5
- Vote description: Rules of the House of Representatives
- Vote type: Yea-and-Nay (Help)
- Result: Passed, 220-195, with 12 not voting.
- Date/time: January 4, 2005, 5:30 p.m.
- Republican majority opinion: Yes (Help)
- Democrat majority opinion: No (Help)
Key Vote Analysis
In January of 2005, the House passed this resolution instituting a number of changes in the ethics rules that govern the conduct of individual members of Congress. Many of the changes were seen by opponents as being designed to specifically protect then-House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, who faced various ethical and legal questions. Amid a flurry of complaints, the House rescinded some of the changes within days. One of the rule changes that they let stand, at least for a time, said that an ethics complaint against a member would be dismissed after 45 days unless the House Ethics Committee had decided to investigate. Under the old rule, the committee could have continued deliberating. Later in the year, amid further complaints, Republicans retreated from this position and repealed the 45-day rule change.
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