This was a vote on tabling (killing) an effort by Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-CA) to appeal the ruling of the chair that his amendment to the disaster relief bill violated House rules.  The disaster relief bill provided $5.1 billion to aid communities affected by natural disasters, and $600 million for a summer youth jobs program. The $5.1 billion was specifically granted to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the federal agency charged with helping communities recover from natural disasters.

During debate on the disaster relief bill, Lewis offered a motion to recommit with instructions. A motion to recommit with instructions is the minority's last chance to make substantive changes to a bill before a final up-or-down vote on the measure. If successful, the motion sends the legislation back to committee with instructions to amend the legislation as specified. 

Lewis' amendment would have used funding from an economic stimulus bill signed into law by President Obama in February, 2009 to pay for the programs funded by  disaster relief bill. Lewis said: "…The bill before us contains almost $6 billion in new spending, spending that is not offset by true reductions. Instead, this $6 billion will simply pile more money on to the government's charge card and add to our already astronomical debt."

Rep. David Obey (D-WI) raised a point of order against Lewis' amendment, arguing it violated House rules. Obey contended that the amendment "constitutes legislation on an appropriation bill." House rules prohibit legislative language from being added to bills exclusively intended to spend money. The chair upheld Obey's point of order, ruling that the amendment did, in fact, violate the rules.  Lewis then appealed the chair's ruling. Obey then made a motion to table (kill) Lewis' appeal.

The House tabled (killed) Lewis' appeal of the chair's ruling by a vote of 239-176. 239 Democrats voted "yea." 173 Republicans and 3 Democrats voted "nay." As a result, the House effectively rejected an amendment to use funding from the economic stimulus law to pay for programs funded by the disaster relief bill.