The Journal of the House of Representatives is a written record of proceedings within the United States House. Article I, Section 5 of the U.S. Constitution requires that the House "keep a Journal of its Proceedings".
The Journal contains only the legislative actions taken by the House. It does not record all debate, which is recorded in the Congressional Record.[1]
The House must approve the journal; these votes are often used as quorum calls or to influence other debates.[1]
Historically, the House Journal was an important source of precedent on questions of legislative procedure and certain areas of constitutional law.[2]
See also
- Hansard, British parliamentary record
- United States Senate Journal
References
- ^ a b Hudiberg, Jane. "The House Journal: Origin, Purpose, and Approval" (PDF). Congressional Research Service.
- ^ Handler, Nicholas (May 2019). "Rediscovering the Journal Clause: The Lost History of Legislative Constitutional Interpretation". University of Pennsylvania Journal of Constitutional Law. 21: 1219–1298.