Eleanor Finch
The Journal of Proceedings is a record of the proceedings of the House of Representatives and the Senate, as outlined in Article I, Section 5 of the United States Constitution. Each House is required to keep a journal, recording the result of every vote and stating the subject of the vote in general terms. The Journal is distinct from the Congressional Record, serving as the official record of proceedings for each legislative day in the House of Representatives. It includes detailed accounts of official actions, motions, and votes, while excluding verbatim debate transcripts. The Journal is produced by Journal Clerks, reviewed by Parliamentarians, and approved by the Speaker before the next legislative day. The purpose of maintaining a Journal is to ensure publicity and transparency in legislative proceedings, fostering civic understanding, confidence in the government, and accountability to constituents.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Purpose | To ensure publicity to the proceedings of the legislature and to hold members responsible to their respective constituents |
| Content | A record of proceedings of each legislative day in the House of Representatives, including the result of every vote and the subject of the vote |
| Format | A manuscript of the actions in note form, and in more detail by computer |
| Approval | Approved by the Speaker prior to the next legislative day |
| Publication | Published from time to time, excepting parts deemed to require secrecy |
| Distribution | Limited distribution, including all Members of Congress |
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What You'll Learn
- Journal of Proceedings is the official record of the proceedings of the House
- Journals are published at the end of each session of Congress
- Journals are not available for purchase by the public
- Journals are approved by the Speaker at the start of each legislative day
- Journals record the result of every vote
Journal of Proceedings is the official record of the proceedings of the House
The Journal of Proceedings is the official record of the proceedings of the House of Representatives. It is a requirement of the US Constitution, as outlined in Article I, Section 5, that each House of Congress keeps a Journal of its proceedings. This includes the House of Representatives and the Senate.
The Journal is a record of each legislative day in the House, including the result of every vote and a general statement of the subject of the vote. It does not include verbatim debate but instead records all official actions, motions, and votes. The Journal is recorded in note form by a Journal Clerk, and another Clerk produces a more detailed version by computer. The Journal is then proofed, presented for review, and approved by the Speaker before the next legislative day.
The purpose of the Journal is to ensure publicity and transparency in the legislature's proceedings. It also ensures that members are held responsible to their constituents. Justice Joseph Story commented on the importance of the Journal in preventing secrecy, intrigue, and cabal. He also noted that it aids civic understanding and confidence in the government. The Journal is, therefore, an important tool in maintaining a healthy republic.
The Journal is published from time to time, with certain exceptions for matters that may require secrecy. The Yeas and Nays of Members on any question shall also be entered in the Journal at the desire of one-fifth of those present. The Journal is not available for purchase by the public but is distributed to all Members of Congress.
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Journals are published at the end of each session of Congress
The US Constitution mandates that each House of Congress keep a Journal of its proceedings. Journals are published at the end of each session of Congress, with the exception of parts deemed to require secrecy. The Journals record the results of every vote, along with a general overview of the subject of the vote. They do not contain verbatim debates but instead offer a record of all official actions, including motions and votes.
The Journal is an official record of the proceedings of each legislative day in the House of Representatives. It includes sections for each legislative day, with recorded proceedings comprising Part 1 and Part 2. The Journal also covers proceedings subsequent to Sine Die Adjournment, Rules of the House of Representatives, Table of Indexes, Questions of Order, History of Bills and Resolutions, Index Subjects, and an Appendix.
The purpose of maintaining a Journal, as explained by Justice Joseph Story, is "to insure publicity to the proceedings of the legislature, and a correspondent responsibility of the members to their respective constituents." The Journal requirement prevents secrecy and the "intrigue and cabal" that can occur in secret sessions. It promotes civic understanding, confidence in the government, and public interest in the proceedings of Congress.
The process of creating the Journal involves recording the proceedings in note form by a Journal Clerk, while another Journal Clerk produces a more detailed manuscript using a computer. The final manuscript is proofed, reviewed by Parliamentarians, and approved by the Speaker before the next legislative day.
The Journal is published in a bound hard copy and CD format at the close of each session of Congress. Its distribution is limited to Members of Congress, and it is not available for purchase by the public.
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Journals are not available for purchase by the public
The US Constitution requires Congress to keep a journal of its proceedings. This includes the proceedings of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The purpose of keeping a journal is to ensure publicity of the legislature's proceedings and to hold members responsible to their constituents.
The journals are not available for purchase by the public. They are, however, available for reference. When the Journal of either House is put in evidence, it is presumed to show the truth. For instance, in NLRB v. Canning, the Court stated that when the Journal of the Senate indicates that a quorum was present when the Senate passed a bill, the Court would not consider an argument that a quorum was not, in fact, present.
The Journals are also used to determine the authenticity of a bill. When a bill is signed by the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate, in an open session, and receives the approval of the President, it is deposited in the Department of State. At this point, the bill's authentication as a bill that has passed Congress is complete and unimpeachable. It is not possible to use the Journals of either House to show that an act, so authenticated, approved, and deposited, omitted a section that was actually passed by both Houses of Congress.
The Journals also record the yeas and nays of the Members of either House on any question, at the desire of one-fifth of those present.
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Journals are approved by the Speaker at the start of each legislative day
The Journal of Proceedings is a record of each legislative day's proceedings in the House of Representatives. It is an official record of the proceedings of the House, containing the results of every vote and a general statement of the subject of the vote. It also includes all official actions of the House, such as motions made and votes taken.
The Journal is approved by the Speaker at the start of each legislative day. This is the first order of business of each legislative day. The Journal is not a verbatim record of debates, but rather a record of official actions. The Journal Clerk records the proceedings in note form in a book called the "Journal Minute Book", and another Journal Clerk produces a more detailed manuscript on a computer. The final manuscript is then proofed and presented to the Parliamentarians for review.
The Journal is published from time to time, with certain parts withheld if they are deemed to require secrecy. The Yeas and Nays of the Members of either House on any question shall, at the desire of one-fifth of those present, be entered on the Journal. The object of keeping a Journal is to ensure publicity and transparency in the legislature's proceedings and to hold members accountable to their constituents. Justice Joseph Story noted that the Journal requirement also prevents secrecy, "intrigue and cabal", and aids civic understanding and confidence in the government.
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Journals record the result of every vote
The Journal of Proceedings, also known as the Journal of the House of Representatives, is a record of the proceedings of each legislative day in the House. It is an official record of the proceedings of the House, and it includes the result of every vote, stating in general terms the subject of the vote.
The Journal records the votes on amendments, every motion made, and every vote taken. It does not, however, contain verbatim debate but instead a rendition of all the official actions of the House. The Journal is published from time to time, excepting such parts as may, in their judgment, require secrecy. The Yeas and Nays of the Members of either House on any question shall, at the desire of one-fifth of those present, be entered into the Journal.
The object of the clause requiring the keeping of a Journal is to "insure publicity to the proceedings of the legislature and a correspondent responsibility of the members to their respective constituents." Justice Joseph Story explained that the Journal requirement prevents secrecy and the "intrigue and cabal" that secrecy facilitates. He further noted that the Journal aids civic understanding and confidence in the government. The public interest in and knowledge of Congress's proceedings serve as a bellwether of the Republic's health.
The Journal is first approved by the Speaker and then published at the close of each session of Congress. It is not a document that can be purchased by the public.
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Frequently asked questions
The Journal of Proceedings is a record of the proceedings of the House of Representatives. It is the official record of each legislative day in the House, including the result of every vote and the subject of the vote.
The Journal of Proceedings includes the recorded proceedings of each legislative day, comprising two parts. It also includes the proceedings subsequent to Sine Die Adjournment, Rules of the House of Representatives, Table of Indexes, Questions of Order, History of Bills and Resolutions, Index Subjects, Index, and Appendix to the Index.
The Journal of Proceedings is recorded in note form by a Journal Clerk in a book called the "Journal Minute Book". Another Journal Clerk produces a more detailed manuscript of the actions using a computer.
Justice Joseph Story explained that the Journal of Proceedings is required to "'insure publicity to the proceedings of the legislature, and a correspondent responsibility of the members to their respective constituents".
