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Title 3, The PresidentRelease 119-102

§17 Same; Limit of Debate in Each House

Title 3 › CHAPTER 1 — PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS AND VACANCIES › § 17

Last updated Aug 21, 2026|Official source

Summary

When the House and Senate split to decide an objection about a State’s electoral votes, all objections and related questions for that State are handled at that time. Each Senator and Representative may speak only once and for up to five minutes. Debate in each House about that State is limited to two hours, split equally and run by the Majority and Minority Leaders or their designees. When debate ends, the person running each House session must put each objection and question to a vote with no further debate.

Full Legal Text

Title 3, §17

The President, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

When the two Houses separate to decide upon an objection pursuant to section 15(d)(2)(C)(i) that may have been made to the counting of any electoral vote or votes from any State, or other question arising in the matter—
(1)all such objections and questions permitted with respect to such State shall be considered at such time;
(2)each Senator and Representative may speak to such objections or questions for up to five minutes, and not more than once;
(3)the total time for debate for all such objections and questions with respect to such State shall not exceed two hours in each House, equally divided and controlled by the Majority Leader and Minority Leader, or their respective designees; and
(4)at the close of such debate, it shall be the duty of the presiding officer of each House to put each of the objections and questions to a vote without further debate.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2022—Pub. L. 117–328 amended section generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “When the two Houses separate to decide upon an objection that may have been made to the counting of any electoral vote or votes from any State, or other question arising in the matter, each Senator and Representative may speak to such objection or question five minutes, and not more than once; but after such debate shall have lasted two hours it shall be the duty of the presiding officer of each House to put the main question without further debate.”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

3 U.S.C. § 17

Title 3, The President

Last Updated

Aug 21, 2026

Release point: 119-102