Before the first day of the new Congress, the majority and minority parties consider changes they would like to make to the House rules. On the first day of Congress, each party offers its suggestions.

	How does the Congress operate before it has established new rules? Before the adoption of its rules, the House operates under general parliamentary law. (This means the House uses the rules for the previous Congress on the first day of a new Congress.)

What does Congress do next?

The majority party leads a one-hour debate on the rules.

The majority party offers a motion to end the debate.

The minority party can offer “instructions” for changes in the rules, but the majority party's version of the rules typically prevails.

The House adopts the new rules of procedure.

After adopting its new rules, the House establishes a time for daily meetings. This time is determined through a resolution, typically offered by the chairman of the House Rules Committee, and must be renewed for each session of Congress.