Lay on the Table

C-SPAN Congressional Glossary

Term	Definition	Used In
Lay on the Table	To lay a bill, resolution, amendment, appeal, or motion on the table is to dispose of it permanently and adversely. Under congressional rules of procedure, tabling kills the underlying matter. If done by unanimous consent, the Chair will simply state: "without objection, the [matter] is laid upon the table." If done by a record vote, a motion to table is formally offered and put to a vote. An example of uncontroversial tabling would be when bills whose substance have been shifted to another piece of legislation are tabled without objection. An example of a controversial tabling would be when a debatable resolution is offered. Moving to table the resolution both ends debate and kills the resolution. In the House privileged resolutions would otherwise receive at least one hour of debate and in the Senate would have no restriction upon debate.	House and Senate

Term

Definition

Used In

Lay on the Table

To lay a bill, resolution, amendment, appeal, or motion on the table is to dispose of it permanently and adversely. Under congressional rules of procedure, tabling kills the underlying matter.

If done by unanimous consent, the Chair will simply state: "without objection, the [matter] is laid upon the table."

If done by a record vote, a motion to table is formally offered and put to a vote.

An example of uncontroversial tabling would be when bills whose substance have been shifted to another piece of legislation are tabled without objection.

An example of a controversial tabling would be when a debatable resolution is offered. Moving to table the resolution both ends debate and kills the resolution. In the House privileged resolutions would otherwise receive at least one hour of debate and in the Senate would have no restriction upon debate.

House and Senate