This was a procedural vote on whether the House Journal for February 23, 2009 should be approved. The Republicans requested this roll call vote to demonstrate their displeasure with the manner in which the majority Democrats had been managing legislation in the House. The Republican minority had been expressing its unhappiness during the period preceding the day this vote occurred. Their unhappiness was voiced especially during House consideration of the economic stimulus legislation: The Republicans consistently argued that the stimulus legislation was not developed in a bipartisan way, and that it was rushed to the House floor without giving the Members time to review it. The call of this vote was a symbolic gesture to demonstrate their continuing displeasure.

The House Journal is the official daily record of all House proceedings. It describes actions taken by the House on a particular day. The Journal is kept for every day the House is in session by the Journal Clerk, an employee of the House.

The Journal for each day requires a formal vote of approval to become a permanent record of the activities of the House. That vote typically is perfunctory, and occurs at the start of the legislative day following the day to which the Journal applies. Under House rules, Members have the right to demand a formal roll call vote to approve the previous day’s Journal. When a formal roll call vote is demanded, it is typically an effort by the minority party to protest or show its displeasure over some action taken by the majority. 

The Journal was approved by a vote of 242-163. Two hundred and twenty-eight Democrats and fourteen Republicans voted “aye”, One hundred and forty-nine Republicans and fourteen Democrats voted “nay”. As a result, the Journal for February 23, 2009 was formally approved and the House moved forward with its regular business.