This vote was on a motion to send a bill to provide housing assistance to residents affected by the 2005 hurricanes back to the Financial Services Committee with instructions that the bill be amended to include language barring households that include convicted drug dealers, sex offender or perpetrators of other violent crimes from occupying rebuilt public housing in New Orleans. Furthermore, the amendment would require that priority for public housing be given to employed individuals who agree to contribute to community service. The motion was made by Rep. Bobby Jindal (R-La.), who represents a suburban area outside of New Orleans.

The underlying bill would prevent the demolition of damaged public housing in New Orleans until the federal government comes up with replacement units. The measure would also grant displaced public housing tenants an absolute right of return and remove restrictions on the approximately $110 billion already appropriated for hurricane recovery.

In support of his amendment, Jindal said that the government "must make certain that the mistakes of the past are not repeated. This includes ensuring that our public housing system does not force residents to live in unacceptable conditions, and replacing the old public housing units with safe, habitable and affordable housing for the future."

Financial Services Chairman Barney Frank (D-Mass) said it appeared to him that the amendment was just a restatement of current law, and thus unnecessary, but if it was a change to current housing law, then it was just a change for the residents of New Orleans, in which case it was unreasonable and unfair. Frank pointed out that Jindal and the Republicans gave the majority Democrats no notice on the substance of the motion, and it appeared to him that Jindal could not answer his questions as to its exact content. "I don't think this is very well considered," Frank concluded.

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. Fifty-five Democrats joined all but one Republican present in voting to send the housing assistance bill back to the Financial Services Committee with specific directions to include Jindal's amendment. The motion to recommit with instructions was thus successful, and a bill to provide housing relief to residents affected by the 2005 Gulf Coast hurricanes was amended to prohibit convicted drug dealers and perpetrators of other violent crimes from occupying rebuilt public housing in New Orleans.