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The House rejected a procedural move by Democrats to send the Undersea Cable Protection Act back to committee, allowing the bill to move toward a final vote.
This vote was on a procedural motion related to H.R. 261, the Undersea Cable Protection Act of 2025. The underlying bill aims to streamline the installation of undersea fiber optic cables in protected marine areas by limiting the Secretary of Commerce's power to block projects that have already been approved by other federal or state agencies. A 'motion to recommit' is a procedural tool usually offered by the minority party just before a bill is passed. In the current era of the House of Representatives, this motion serves as a final attempt to stop a bill by sending it back to a committee for further review. Because of recent rule changes, it no longer includes specific instructions for amendments and is generally used as a party-line formality. The motion failed in a narrow party-line vote, with Republicans successfully blocking the attempt to delay the bill. Because the motion was defeated, the House was able to proceed immediately to the final vote on passing the bill itself.
Following this failed procedural move, the House moved to a final vote on H.R. 261, which subsequently passed the chamber.
OPEN BILL →Democrats. Democrats voted unanimously in favor of the motion to recommit.
Republicans. Republicans voted unanimously against the motion to protect the bill's path to passage.
The House rejected a procedural move by Democrats to send the Undersea Cable Protection Act back to committee, allowing the bill to move toward a final vote.
This is a procedural move used by the minority party as a final attempt to block a bill. If successful, it would send the bill back to a committee, effectively killing it or delaying it indefinitely. Since 2021, these motions are simple 'yes or no' votes without specific instructions for changes.
Following this failed procedural move, the House moved to a final vote on H.R. 261, which subsequently passed the chamber.
The vote fell strictly along party lines, with Democrats supporting the motion to delay the bill and Republicans opposing it to move forward.
Democrats voted unanimously in favor of the motion to recommit.
Republicans voted unanimously against the motion to protect the bill's path to passage.
The lone independent member voted with the Republicans against the motion.