What is Rule IX?

Rule IX of the House of Representatives allows any individual member to force a vote on impeachment, even without approval from House leadership.

Rule IX covers questions of the privileges of the House. A question of the privilege of the House is a safeguard for institutional integrity — it protects the House’s rights and operations. Articles of impeachment fall within this protected class of powers and procedures.

When does the vote happen?

When a member offers an impeachment resolution and invokes Rule IX, the House must act within two legislative (i.e. business) days. One of two things must happen: either the full House votes directly on the resolution itself, or the full House votes on another rules resolution to dispose of the impeachment resolution. Just like a cloture vote in the Senate is really about the underlying bill rather than simply ending debate, a House vote on the disposal of a resolution is in essence a vote on the original resolution. For all intents and purposes, the House is voting on the proposed impeachment either way.

Why does Rule IX matter?

Rule IX is powerful and disruptive by design. It is part of the House’s immune system, a way to make sure it can’t dodge its constitutional responsibilities. This tool is available to any member, ready to be used when the moment demands. This is not a novel or untested procedure; in fact, it has happened in recent years.

When it comes to Rule IX, the Speaker of the House does not have any authority to change the course of action or bury the resolution. Invoking Rule IX does not require special prior permission, such as from the member’s party caucus or a committee chair. Thus, a single representative can trigger an up-or-down vote and make all of the representatives in the House go on the record.