[House Practice: A Guide to the Rules, Precedents and Procedures of the House]
[Chapter 18. Delegates and Resident Commissioner]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office, www.gpo.gov]


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              CHAPTER 18 - DELEGATES AND RESIDENT COMMISSIONER

                              HOUSE PRACTICE

  Sec. 1. In General
  Sec. 2. In the House
  Sec. 3. In Committees
  Sec. 4. In Committee of the Whole
        Research References
          1 Hinds Sec. Sec. 400-410
          6 Cannon Sec. Sec. 240-246
          Deschler Ch 7 Sec. 3
          Manual Sec. Sec. 675, 676

  Sec. 1 . In General

                                 Generally

      The Delegates and Resident Commissioner are those statutory 
  officers who represent in the House the constituencies of territories 
  and properties owned or administered by the United States but not 
  admitted to statehood. Deschler Ch 7 Sec. 3. The Virgin Islands, Guam, 
  American Samoa, and the District of Columbia, are each represented in 
  the House by a Delegate. Puerto Rico is represented by a Resident 
  Commissioner. Manual Sec. 675. The rights and prerogatives of a 
  Delegate in parliamentary matters are not limited to legislation 
  affecting his own territory. 6 Cannon Sec. 240.


  Sec. 2 . In the House

      The floor privileges of a Delegate or a Resident Commissioner in 
  the House include the right to debate (2 Hinds Sec. 1290), offer 
  motions (2 Hinds Sec. 1291), and raise points of order (6 Cannon 
  Sec. 240). However, he cannot vote in the House (Manual Sec. 675) or 
  serve as its presiding officer (Manual Sec. 970). He may offer any 
  motion a Member may offer, including the motion to adjourn, but not 
  the motion to reconsider, which is itself dependent on the right to 
  vote. 2 Hinds Sec. 1292; Deschler-Brown Ch 29 Sec. 23.65. He may file 
  reports for committees (Manual Sec. 675) and may object to the 
  consideration of a bill (6 Cannon Sec. 241; Deschler Ch 7 Sec. 3.7). 
  Impeachment proceedings have been moved by a Delegate. 2 Hinds 
  Sec. 1303.

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  Sec. 3 . In Committees

      Under rule III clause 3, delegates and the Resident Commissioner 
  are elected to serve on standing committees in the same manner as 
  Members of the House and possess in such committees the same powers 
  and privileges as the other Members. Manual Sec. 675. They have the 
  right to vote in committees on which they serve. Seniority accrual 
  rights on committees have also been extended to the Delegates and 
  Resident Commissioner. Deschler Ch 7 Sec. 3.11. They may be appointed 
  by the Speaker to any conference committee. The Speaker also now has 
  the authority to appoint them to any select committee, an appointment 
  that previously required the permission of the House. Manual Sec. 676.


  Sec. 4 . In Committee of the Whole

      Under a rule adopted in 1993, when the House was sitting in 
  Committee of the Whole, the Delegates and Resident Commissioner had 
  the same right to vote as Members, subject to immediate 
  reconsideration in the House where their votes were collectively 
  decisive in the Committee. In the same year, the Speaker was given 
  authority to appoint a Delegate or Resident Commissioner as Chairman 
  of the Committee of the Whole. The constitutionality of that rule was 
  upheld based on the immediate reconsideration feature of the rule. 
  Michel v. Anderson, 14 F.3d 6723 (D.C.Cir. 1994). These provisions 
  were stricken from the rules as adopted in 1995. Manual Sec. 985.