In recent US time, our top politicians have sparked some serious House Judiciary Committee hearings. I’m taking a look at you President Donald Trump.
My guess is that the majority of citizens aren’t glued to these hearings. Impeachment hearings for presidents are, however, arouse excitement. Also, when lawmakers on the House Judiciary Committee say “I move to strike the last word!” the hearings can cause confusion.
In essence, the phrase basically means “I want to speak and keep the discussion going.”
What Does “I Move to Strike the Last Word” Mean?
In the typical fashion of politics, “I move to strike the last word” does not necessarily mean what it appears to mean. Nobody is asking to strike the “last word,” or any other term.
The person making the claim uses a phrase from the parliament to indicate their intention to speak, and to extend the limit of five minutes for discussing an issue.
Plainly stated, “I move to strike the last word” signifies “I want time to talk about this further.”
What Does Saying “I Move to Strike the Last Word” Do?
In a study titled “Speaking on the House Floor: Gaining Time and Parliamentary Phraseology,” the Congressional Research Service explains that an House member who proposes an amendment is given five minutes to present the issue.
If a person wants to object to the amendment, they will also are allowed five minutes present their argument.
If the members want to prolong the discussion on the issue They can make use of pro modificare amending in order to “strike” one or more phrases out of the text, rendering an amendment “incomplete.”
The suggestion of striking but, it’s not literal. There is no one trying to eliminate words from the text. They would like to have more time to talk about the root of the matter.
In a piece that focuses on the “I move to strike the last word” statement, Noreen O’Donnell quotes Bill Shcute the acting director for the Washington Center of the LBJ School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas. The statement is described by him to be “an old trick to allow members a chance to speak for five minutes additional.”
What Is a Pro Forma Amendment?
“I move to strike the last word” is an amendment pro forma. What does it mean?
To summarize, we understand that the rules of Congress procedure permit a member to have five minutes to discuss the amendment. If a member who is opposed is standing and declares “I rise in opposition to the amendment,” they have five minutes to present their position.
This is only 10 minutes of debate. Anyone who has watched those House Judiciary Committee hearings knows that they lasted for more than 10 minutes. How? By using a loophole that is more commonly known as the pro form amendment.
The Congressional Institute’s Congressional Glossary defines Pro Forma Amendments Pro Forma Amendment this way:
The Pro forma amendment “I move to strike the last word,” is as if using the words “Open Sesame,” or “Abracadabra!”
Then, it gives them the opportunity to talk for longer.
The House Judiciary Committee Debate
On the 12th of December, 2019 on December 12, 2019, the House Judiciary Committee debated two impeachment articles for president Donald Trump for 14 hours! Thanks to the power “I move to strike the last word.”
The statement was a form of joke with journalists such as Noreen O’Donnell, who called her article “If ‘Strike the Last Word’ Was an Impeachment Drinking Game, No One Would Survive.”
Other sources produced video montages of House members repeating the phrase repeatedly. For the politicians “I move to strike the last word” is a custom. Although the majority of us may view that practice as an opportunity, loophole or even a technicality to politicians, it’s a part of the system
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