H. Res. 802 (119th)Bill Overview

Requiring the House of Representatives to convene and hold recorded quorum calls during a Government shutdown, and for other purposes.

Simple ResolutionCongress|Congress
Cosponsors
Support
Democratic
Introduced
Oct 10, 2025
Discussions
Bill Text
Current stageCommittee

Referred to the Committee on Rules, and in addition to the Committee on House Administration, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for considera…

Introduced
Committee
Floor
President
Law
Congressional Activities
01 · The brief
Simple ResolutionWhat this resolution actually does

This resolution directs the House to meet each day during a government shutdown and requires one or more recorded electronic quorum calls each day, with specified fines for members who fail to record their presence. It names the Sergeant-at-Arms to impose fines, describes an appeals process to the Committee on Ethics, and authorizes payroll deductions for unpaid fines. This is an internal House rule about how the House runs its own business and does not create law beyond the House or involve the President.

The resolution requires the House of Representatives to convene on each calendar day a government shutdown (defined as any lapse in appropriations for a federal agency or department) and limits motions to adjourn or recess during such periods.

While the House is in session during a shutdown, it must hold one or more recorded quorum calls each day in which every Member records presence electronically.

The Sergeant-at-Arms may fine Members who fail to record presence on two or more consecutive days ($500 first offense, $2,500 subsequent), with a written notification process, an appeal route to the Committee on Ethics, and procedures for deducting unpaid fines from pay; campaign or official funds may not be used to pay these fines.

Passage60/100

On content alone, the proposal is narrow, administrative, and implementable, making it reasonably likely to be adopted by the House if a majority supports it. The primary obstacles are intra-chamber politics and member resistance to penalties and reduced tactical flexibility during shutdowns. There are minimal external legal or federalism barriers and low fiscal impact, which improves feasibility relative to broad or costly measures.

CredibilityAligned

Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a well-specified administrative/operational resolution that prescribes daily convening, recorded quorum calls, and an enforcement/appeals regime during a defined Government shutdown period.

Contention55/100

Whether financial fines and compulsory daily recorded quorum calls are appropriate enforcement tools (liberal and centrist more accepting; conservative more skeptical).

02 · What it does

Who stands to gain, and who may push back.

Likely benefits vs burdens50% / 50%
Likely helpedFederal agencies · Families

These are examples from the analysis, not a ranked list of the most-affected groups.

Likely helped
  • Potential benefitIncreases member accountability and transparency during shutdowns by producing daily, recorded evidence of which member…
  • Potential benefitReduces the incentive for deliberate absenteeism or "quorum-busting" during funding impasses by attaching financial pen…
  • Potential benefitCreates a clearer administrative mechanism for enforcing member attendance (delegating enforcement to the Sergeant-at-A…
Likely burdened
  • Federal agenciesIncreases administrative and operational burdens on House staff (Sergeant-at-Arms, Committee on Ethics, Chief Administr…
  • FamiliesImposes financial penalties that could disproportionately affect Members with legitimate absences not explicitly covere…
  • Potential burdenCould create additional costs to the House (security, utilities, session support) from convening daily during shutdowns…
03 · Why people split

Why the argument around this bill splits.

Whether financial fines and compulsory daily recorded quorum calls are appropriate enforcement tools (liberal and centrist more accepting; conservative more skeptical).
Progressive80%

A mainstream liberal would likely view the resolution as a pro-accountability, transparency measure that forces Congressional presence and oversight during shutdowns when federal services are disrupted.

They would see recorded quorum calls and public notification of fines as a way to hold Members publicly responsible for being physically present while constituents face furloughs and service lapses.

They may nevertheless worry that fines are punitive if applied without adequate medical or constituency-service exceptions and that enforcement could be used politically.

Leans supportive
Centrist65%

A centrist would likely like the resolution's focus on accountability and its relatively specific procedural mechanics, while being cautious about potential unintended consequences and administrative complexity.

They would appreciate defined fines, an appeal process, and that the resolution does not restrict other House business, but worry about fairness, due process timing (appeal windows), and whether fines will be applied uniformly.

Centrists would look for clear implementation details and safeguards to ensure the measure improves oversight without creating perverse incentives or undermining legitimate duties of Members.

Split reaction
Conservative40%

A mainstream conservative reaction would likely be mixed-to-cool: while conservatives generally favor holding elected officials accountable for attendance, many would object to internal disciplinary fines, micromanagement of Members’ schedules, and a rule that constrains strategic use of recess or adjournment during budget negotiations.

They might view the measure as a political tool for the majority to embarrass opponents rather than a substantive improvement in governance.

Some conservatives who prioritize institutional responsibility could support parts of it (daily convening and transparency), but others would oppose mandatory fines and the potential for partisan enforcement.

Split reaction
04 · Can it pass?

The path through Congress.

Introduced

Reached or meaningfully advanced

Committee

Reached or meaningfully advanced

Floor

Still ahead

President

Still ahead

Law

Still ahead

Passage likelihood60/100

On content alone, the proposal is narrow, administrative, and implementable, making it reasonably likely to be adopted by the House if a majority supports it. The primary obstacles are intra-chamber politics and member resistance to penalties and reduced tactical flexibility during shutdowns. There are minimal external legal or federalism barriers and low fiscal impact, which improves feasibility relative to broad or costly measures.

Scope and complexity
24%
Scopenarrow
52%
Complexitymedium
Why this could stall
  • Whether a House majority will prioritize changing internal procedures about quorum calls during shutdowns and tolerate the political consequences of imposing fines on colleagues.
  • How the Sergeant-at-Arms, Committee on Ethics, and Chief Administrative Officer would implement and enforce fines in practice, including administrative costs and procedural details not provided in the text.
05 · Recent votes

Recent votes on the bill.

No vote history yet

The bill has not accumulated any surfaced votes yet.

06 · Go deeper

Go deeper than the headline read.

Included on this page

Whether financial fines and compulsory daily recorded quorum calls are appropriate enforcement tools (liberal and centrist more accepting;…

On content alone, the proposal is narrow, administrative, and implementable, making it reasonably likely to be adopted by the House if a ma…

Unlocked analysis

Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a well-specified administrative/operational resolution that prescribes daily convening, recorded quorum calls, and an enforcement/appeals regime during a defined G…

Go beyond the headline summary with full stakeholder mapping, legislative design analysis, passage barriers, and lens-by-lens tradeoff breakdowns.

Perspective breakdownsPassage barriersLegislative design reviewStakeholder impact map
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