As Trump's Big Beautiful Bill Is Voted on, Some Congresspeople Aren't There

For as long as the United States has existed under the current Constitution, legislation has been passed into law through votes. Those votes involve members of both chambers voting to either pass or not pass a specific piece of legislation, and it isn't until both chambers pass the exact same bill that the bill becomes a law.

That process plays out with a budget bill every year, and this year that bill is Trump's Big Beautiful Bill. The bill is being voted on in the House of Representatives, and as some follow along, they want to know more about why the bill is receiving some votes that are not for or against, but are instead counted as NVs. Here's what we know.

NV refers to the vote of any Congressperson who is not present for the current session or who has decided against casting a vote on a particular bill. This is distinct from the number of members who vote "present," which means that their attendance is recorded and factors into whether the bill can ultimately pass. NV votes don't factor into those counts, and so change the math as to what constitutes a majority on a particular piece of legislation.

A member might not vote for any number of reasons. Maybe they are in the hospital, or tending to someone else who is sick, or are simply not attending a given session for any other reason. Of course, congresspeople are supposed to be on hand to vote on legislation; that is one of the chief reasons they are elected. Typically, then, an excuse has to be pretty significant to justify missing votes, especially on crucial legislation.

Typically, you'll see that the NV count on a bill is pretty small, and that's especially true for the highest profile pieces of legislation. If the NV number gets too high, it can actually keep the House from conducting official business, as the Constitution requires that a majority of members be present for any official business to be conducted. Unless that is called into question, the House always presumes that a majority of members are present.

At certain points throughout American history, Congresspeople have intentionally tried to make it hard for the House to do business, but for the most part, this is a tactic that is hard to use effectively. Typically, the House is allowed to proceed with its business, even if a bill is controversial or some members of the chamber are strongly opposed to it.

There is only so much that any minority can do in either chamber if the majority has the votes required for passage. Resistance might be important, but majorities are allowed to ultimately pass major legislation if they have the votes, and it's looking like Trump's 2025 budget bill is ultimately going to have the votes.