Scheduling Debate
Bills that are reported out of committee face one last obstacle before making it to the floor for debate and a vote: the calendar. Both the House and the Senate have specific calendars to determine the order in which bills are taken up by the entire chamber. In the House there are four different calendars, depending on the type of legislation:
The Union Calendar is reserved for bills that either raise or spend money.
The House Calendar is reserved for important public bills that do not deal with money.
The Private Calendar (or Consent Calendar) is reserved for noncontroversial items. (Here the formal rules are dispensed with so that items can be passed quickly.)
The Corrections Calendar is reserved for repealing frivolous or outdated laws and regulations that are still on the books.
House Republicans created the Corrections Calendar six months after taking control of the chamber in 1995. The Speaker of the House alone determines which bills are placed on the Corrections Calendar, although the bill must have been favorably reported from a committee first. Bills on the Corrections Calendar must receive a three-fifths majority (261 votes) to become law.
The Senate has only two calendars:
The Executive Calendar is used to schedule confirmation proceedings for treaties and executive branch nominations.
The Legislative Calendar is used to schedule all other matters, such as bills and resolutions. Its largest section is called General Orders.
In the House, the Rules Committee controls the calendar; in the Senate, the majority and minority leaders set the schedule together.
