H.Res. 977 is a House procedural resolution that establishes the path for considering three bills: H.R. 4593 (to revise the Energy Policy and Conservation Act’s showerhead definition), H.R. 5184 (to prohibit DOE from enforcing certain energy efficiency standards for manufactured housing), and H.R. 6938 (a consolidated appropriations measure for FY 2026). The resolution sets the terms of debate, waives points of order, and defines a sequence in which these bills will be brought to the floor.
It also provides a framework for how amendments are treated and how the final text is to be read and considered. Finally, it authorizes procedural steps to insert explanatory material into the Congressional Record, clarifying the bill’s context for readers.
At a Glance
What It Does
The resolution orders the House to consider H.R. 4593, then H.R. 5184, then H.R. 6938, with limited debate time per bill and a standard motion to recommit. It also specifies that the committee-reported substitute for H.R. 5184 is adopted and that the bills, as amended, are read and proceeded toward final passage.
Who It Affects
House members, staff of the Committee on Energy and Commerce and Appropriations, and floor managers who implement the sequence and debate constraints for the three bills.
Why It Matters
By structuring the consideration of energy-related and appropriations measures, the resolution shapes legislative timing, amendment opportunities, and the potential policy direction embedded in the three bills while preserving floor efficiency.
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What This Bill Actually Does
This resolution does not enact policy; it governs how three separate bills move through the House. Section 2 sets up the floor action for H.R. 5184, including adopting the substitute version recommended by the Energy and Commerce Committee.
Section 3 follows with the similar procedure for H.R. 6938, the consolidated FY 2026 appropriations bill, including a provision that allows a further motion to recommit. Section 4 then details the order of operations for retaining portions of the bills (divisions) and the process for counting votes (yeas and nays) before proceeding to engrossment and third reading.
Section 5 instructs the Clerk to align division and section numbers as needed. Section 6 authorizes the chair to insert explanatory material in the Congressional Record to clarify the resolution’s purpose and the bills’ scope.
The Whole package is strictly procedural; it does not alter the text of the bills themselves but dictates how they may be considered and presented to the House for final passage.
The Five Things You Need to Know
The resolution sets a fixed sequence: HR4593 first, then HR5184, then HR6938.
H.R. 5184’s committee-reported substitute is deemed adopted during floor consideration.
The previous question is ordered to final passage on each bill, with limited exceptions.
Section 4 creates a formal process to decide which divisions of the bills are retained and read.
Section 6 allows the Chair to insert explanatory material into the Congressional Record by a set date.
Section-by-Section Breakdown
Every bill we cover gets an analysis of its key sections.
Consideration for H.R. 5184 with substitute adoption
This section directs the House to consider H.R. 5184 and waives points of order against its consideration. It also provides that the amendment in the nature of a substitute, as printed by the Committee on Energy and Commerce, shall be treated as adopted. The bill, as amended, is to be read and considered as such, with points of order against provisions in the bill, as amended, waived. The standard presumption of proceeding to final passage applies, with a single hour of debate and one motion to recommit allowed.
Consideration for H.R. 6938 with section 4 proceedings
Section 3 extends the same procedural treatment to H.R. 6938 (the consolidated appropriations bill). It waives points of order, requires the bill to be read, and sets the same default: one hour of debate and one motion to recommit. It also incorporates the potential for proceedings under Section 4, which governs the retention of bill divisions and engrossment sequencing.
Division retention and sequencing on engrossment
This is the core sequencing mechanism. After debate under Section 3, the Chair must decide, in order, whether to retain Division A (presumably from H.R. 4593) and whether to retain Divisions B and C (from H.R. 5184 and H.R. 6938). Yeas and nays are recorded on each retention decision. After those outcomes, the Chair proceeds to engrossment and third reading for the retained text. This section operationalizes how much of each bill remains subject to final passage.
Clerk’s cross-reference corrections
The Clerk is authorized to adjust division and section numbers and correct cross-references if portions of the bills are not retained under Section 4. This prevents clerical misalignment in the engrossed text and ensures consistency between the retained content and the final form presented on the floor.
Explanatory material for the record
The Chair may insert explanatory material into the Congressional Record not later than January 9, 2026. This provision gives the majority, and potentially the minority, an opportunity to provide context for why the three bills are being considered and how the procedural framework is intended to affect debate and outcomes.
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Explore Government in Codify Search →Who Benefits and Who Bears the Cost
Every bill creates winners and losers. Here's who stands to gain and who bears the cost.
Who Benefits
- House members who favor expedited energy and appropriations bills gain a clear, fast-track path to floor consideration.
- Committee on Energy and Commerce staff who coordinate the substitute adoption and division scheduling benefit from a streamlined workflow.
- Committee on Appropriations staff responsible for aligning the divisions with the final engrossed text.
- Floor managers and party leadership gain predictable timing for debate and votes, reducing procedural uncertainty.
Who Bears the Cost
- Members desiring more robust floor debate or broader amendment opportunities may find this procedure restrictive.
- Caucus members who oppose the three bills might see less opportunity to amend or delay passage.
- The House as an institution bears the risk of reduced deliberation time and potential confusion if divisions are retained in ways that narrow debate.
Key Issues
The Core Tension
The central dilemma is whether expedited, controlled consideration of energy and appropriations bills serves accuracy and efficiency or curtails meaningful debate and comprehensive review.
The resolution trades deliberative flexibility for procedural speed. By waiving points of order and prescribing a tight, split-decision framework for retaining divisions, it concentrates control over what ultimately appears in the engrossed text.
This can accelerate policy movement in the energy and budget realm but raises questions about the scope of amendments and the thoroughness of floor scrutiny. The instruction to insert explanatory material into the Congressional Record also centralizes a narrative that the reader should review as context, but it does not obligate further legislative changes or endorsements beyond the procedural steps outlined.
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