This bill amends existing House Resolutions to ensure that days occurring during the first session of Congress count as standard calendar days when processing joint resolutions to terminate the national emergencies declared on February 1, 2025, and April 2, 2025.
Timothy Kennedy
Representative
NY-26
This bill amends existing House Resolutions concerning two separate national emergencies declared by the President in February and April 2025. Specifically, it standardizes the counting of days for congressional action on joint resolutions seeking to terminate these emergencies. The legislation ensures that days occurring while Congress is in session are counted as standard calendar days for deadline purposes related to both emergency declarations.
Congress Standardizes Clock for Ending National Emergencies Declared in February and April 2025
This resolution is a pure procedural cleanup, focusing on how Congress calculates deadlines when trying to terminate two specific national emergencies declared by the President in early 2025. Essentially, it ensures that when Congress is actively considering a joint resolution to end the emergencies declared on February 1 and April 2, the clock runs on a regular calendar day basis.
Making the Congressional Clock Run on Real Time
For most of us, a day is a day, but in the legislative world, a “session day” can sometimes be different from a “calendar day.” This bill cuts through that complexity for these two specific national emergencies (covered under House Resolutions 211 and 313, respectively). It mandates that any days occurring while Congress is in its first session will count as standard calendar days when calculating the deadline for a joint resolution to terminate the emergency. This is a subtle but critical move to standardize the timeline. Think of it like making sure everyone’s stopwatch is set to the same standard seconds, removing any ambiguity that might otherwise slow down or complicate the process of ending an emergency declaration.
Why Procedure Matters to You
While this change doesn't directly impact the substance of the national emergencies themselves—it doesn't change the rules or funding tied to them—it clarifies the procedural path for Congress to act. In the past, disputes over how to count legislative days have led to delays and legal challenges. By striking the previous, potentially confusing language regarding day counting (specifically Section 4 of H. Res. 211 and Section 2 of H. Res. 313) and replacing it with a clear calendar-day standard, this resolution ensures that if Congress decides to vote to end these emergencies, the timeline for that vote is unambiguous and consistent. This means less time wasted on procedural wrangling and a clearer path for legislative action, which is good news for anyone who wants government processes to move efficiently.