This was a procedural vote on a resolution setting a time limit for debate and determining which amendments could be offered to legislation eliminating public funding for presidential campaigns. If passed, this particular procedural motion -- known as the “previous question" -- effectively ends debate and brings the pending legislation to an immediate vote.  Specifically, the underlying bill eliminated U.S. taxpayers’ option to designate a portion of their income tax for the Presidential Election Campaign Fund. Under the bill, the current balance of that fund would be transferred to the United States Treasury for deficit reduction. According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), this bill reduced the deficit by $617 million over ten years.

Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) urged support for the resolution and the underlying bill: “Although this concept may be foreign to many liberals and many Washington Beltway insiders, it's what the Americans expect out of the new Republican majority they recently sent to represent them here in the people's House. Instead, H.R. 359 [the underlying bill], which CBO estimates would save $617 million over 10 years, eliminates an expensive federal program that wastes taxpayer money funding presidential campaigns and national party conventions.”

Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-FL) urged members to oppose the resolution and the underlying legislation: “This week, Republicans have engaged in what amounts to a shifty attack on a program that successfully limited the influence of corporations and special interests in our presidential campaigns, tilting the playing field further in favor of multimillionaires who can, and often do, spend their own money. Just as poll taxes and literacy tests prevented poor people and minorities from voting, eliminating this program will place those without the multimillion-dollar political clout yet another step away from having their day in a presidential race.”

The House agreed to the previous question motion by a vote of 234-178. All 232 Republicans present and 2 Democrats voted “yea.”  178 Democrats voted “nay.” As a result, the House proceeded to a final vote on a resolution setting a time limit for debate and determining which amendments could be offered to legislation eliminating public funding for presidential campaigns.