ARTICLE ONE Act
Latest action. Placed on Senate legislative calendarThe list of measures reported out of committee and eligible for floor action. Being on the calendar is not a promise of a vote.Read the full definition (opens a new tab) under General Orders. Calendar No. 307.
Assuring that Robust, Thorough, and Informed Congressional Leadership is Exercised Over National Emergencies Act or the ARTICLE ONE Act
This bill sets forth procedures for a presidential declaration of a national emergency.
The President is authorized to declare a national emergency by proclamation. Such proclamation must be immediately transmitted to Congress and published in the Federal Register. The President must specify the emergency provisions of law being invoked.
If Congress does not approve the emergency declaration, the President may not declare an emergency with respect to the same circumstances for the remainder of the term of office.
A declaration of emergency shall remain in effect for 30 days from the issuance of the proclamation and shall terminate thereafter unless Congress enacts a joint resolution of approval. If Congress is unable to convene during the 30-day period, such period does not begin until the first day Congress convenes.
Unless otherwise terminated by the President or Congress, a declaration of national emergency shall terminate after one year unless it is renewed by the President and approved by a joint resolution of Congress.
The bill sets forth procedures for congressional review of declarations of national emergencies and excludes from such procedures certain national emergencies invoking the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).
The President shall (1) transmit specified information to Congress with any proclamation declaring or renewing a national emergency, including a description of the circumstances necessitating the declaration or renewal of a national emergency declaration and its estimated duration; and (2) report periodically on the status of the emergency.
The bill amends the IEEPA to prohibit the President from using any authorities of such Act to impose duties or tariff-rate quotas.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Reported to Senate" stage on November 18, 2019. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on November 18, 2019: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 307.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the Senate
- Passage by the House
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 116th Congress (2019-20), 344 of the 14,345 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 2.4 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
Mike Lee (R-UT) introduced it on March 12, 2019, and 19 members have since signed on as cosponsors.
They come from both major parties: 1 Democrat, 18 Republicans.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on March 12, 2019, 2739 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 2488 days ago, on November 18, 2019.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 116th Congress has not finished by January 3, 2021 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- SenateIn committee, no floor vote yet
- HouseAwaits Senate passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers