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The House of Representatives voted on whether to end its current meeting for the day. The motion failed, meaning the House remained in session to continue its work.
This was a vote on a "Motion to Adjourn." In simple terms, this is a request to stop the work for the day and close the current meeting of the House. Such motions are frequently used as a tactical tool by the minority party to delay proceedings or to test whether the majority party has enough members present to maintain control of the floor. Procedurally, a motion to adjourn requires a simple majority of those present and voting to pass. If the majority votes "yes," the session ends immediately and members go home. If the majority votes "no," the House continues with its scheduled business for the day. The motion failed because Republicans, who hold the majority, voted against it to keep the session going, while Democrats voted in favor of ending it. Because the "no" votes won, the House stayed in session. The result was very close, failing by only two votes.
The House remains in session and proceeds to the next item on its legislative calendar.
Democrats. The Democratic caucus voted unanimously to adjourn the session.
Republicans. The Republican caucus voted to remain in session, though seven members were absent.
May 21, 2025
The House of Representatives voted on whether to end its current meeting for the day.
The motion failed, meaning the House remained in session to continue its work.
A motion to adjourn is a basic request to close the current session of Congress. It is often used by the party not in power to interrupt the majority's agenda or to see if the majority has enough members in the room to win a vote.
The House remains in session and proceeds to the next item on its legislative calendar.
This was a strict party-line vote, with Democrats voting to end the session and Republicans voting to stay.
The Democratic caucus voted unanimously to adjourn the session.
The Republican caucus voted to remain in session, though seven members were absent.
The sole independent member voted with the Republicans to keep the House in session.