Analyses / Whip Count Analysis / 119 · HRES 840 Whip Count Analysis

119-HRES-840 DC Insider Whip Count Analysis

119 · HRES 840 Expressing support for the designation of October 28 as "Oxi Day" to commemorate the anniversary of Greek Prime Minister Ioannis Metaxas answer of "Oxi!" or "No!" to surrender to the Axis forces, inflicting a fatal wound that helped save democracy for the world.

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Bipartisan, non-controversial House simple resolution led by Rep. Chris Pappas with Hellenic Caucus partners (Bilirakis, Malliotakis, Titus) was introduced on October 28, 2025 and referred to Oversight and Government Reform. With Speaker Mike Johnson holding a narrow GOP majority and Majority Leader Steve Scalise controlling the floor, the most likely path is consideration on the suspension calendar, where a two‑thirds vote is required. Given public caucus backing and supportive Greek‑American groups, adoption is highly likely if leadership allocates floor time; a handful of principled “no” votes (e.g., frequent opponent of symbolic measures Thomas Massie) are the main potential defections. Simple resolutions don’t go to the Senate. [1]U.S. House of Representatives — Rep. Chris Pappas — Latest News (includes Oct 2…[2]AP News — 119th Congress: Mike Johnson narrowly reelected House Speaker[3]U.S. House of Representatives — Scalise statement on being re‑elected Majority…[4]Congressional Research Service via Congress.gov — Suspension of the Rules in th…[5]GovInfo (GPO) — Congressional Bills — Simple Resolutions explainer[6]Washington Post — Who is Thomas Massie, the GOP lawmaker Trump is threatening t…

Analyzed as
DC Insider
Published
29 Oct 2025
Updated
29 Oct 2025
Tags
whip count · House simple resolution · suspension calendar
Unvetted
01 · Section

Breakdown: expected support/opposition

Context: H.Res. 840 is a House simple resolution commemorating Oxi Day; Rep. Chris Pappas announced introduction on October 28, 2025. Prior Congresses saw the same text introduced with the same bipartisan core. [1]U.S. House of Representatives — Rep. Chris Pappas — Latest News (includes Oct 2…[7]Congress.gov (Library of Congress) — H.Res.1557 (118th): Expressing support for…

  • House Democrats: Strong support anchored by sponsor Pappas (Hellenic Caucus co‑chair) and prior Democratic co‑sponsors (e.g., Rep. Dina Titus). The Caucus routinely partners on Greek‑heritage commemorations. [1]U.S. House of Representatives — Rep. Chris Pappas — Latest News (includes Oct 2…[8]American Hellenic Institute — AHI hosts 2025 Congressional Salute to Greek Inde…
  • House Republicans: Expect broad support, including from Hellenic Caucus co‑chair Gus Bilirakis and vice chair Nicole Malliotakis; GOP leadership historically green‑lights noncontroversial suspensions when time allows. [8]American Hellenic Institute — AHI hosts 2025 Congressional Salute to Greek Inde…
  • Likely defections: A small number of members who routinely oppose symbolic or sense resolutions on principle (e.g., Rep. Thomas Massie) may vote no or present; effect on outcome is negligible under a two‑thirds threshold. [6]Washington Post — Who is Thomas Massie, the GOP lawmaker Trump is threatening t…
  • Chamber context: Republicans hold the House; Speaker Mike Johnson and Majority Leader Steve Scalise control scheduling. Simple resolutions do not require Senate action. [2]AP News — 119th Congress: Mike Johnson narrowly reelected House Speaker[3]U.S. House of Representatives — Scalise statement on being re‑elected Majority…[5]GovInfo (GPO) — Congressional Bills — Simple Resolutions explainer
02 · Section

Key legislators and pivot points

Pivotal actors are those who can obtain floor time or signal bipartisan cover.

  • Sponsor bloc: Rep. Chris Pappas (D‑NH) led introduction on Oct 28, 2025. Prior iterations list Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R‑FL), Rep. Dina Titus (D‑NV), and Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R‑NY) as original co‑sponsors; expect similar alignment. [1]U.S. House of Representatives — Rep. Chris Pappas — Latest News (includes Oct 2…[7]Congress.gov (Library of Congress) — H.Res.1557 (118th): Expressing support for…
  • Hellenic Caucus: Co‑chairs Pappas and Bilirakis publicly co‑lead Hellenic priorities; their joint capacity to recruit co‑sponsors minimizes partisan risk. [8]American Hellenic Institute — AHI hosts 2025 Congressional Salute to Greek Inde…
  • Committee gatekeeper: House Oversight and Government Reform, chaired by James Comer in the 119th, has formal jurisdiction; however, suspension consideration typically proceeds without markup. Committee posture should be non‑obstructive. [10]U.S. House—History, Art & Archives — House Historian: James Comer — includes co…[11]House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform — Comer announces Oversight…[4]Congressional Research Service via Congress.gov — Suspension of the Rules in th…
  • Floor time: Majority Leader Steve Scalise decides the suspension slate; Speaker Mike Johnson’s office ultimately blesses packaging and vote timing. [3]U.S. House of Representatives — Scalise statement on being re‑elected Majority…[2]AP News — 119th Congress: Mike Johnson narrowly reelected House Speaker
  • Democratic floor lead: With Democrats in the minority, Hakeem Jeffries provides caucus cover; no ideological friction is expected for a WWII‑era commemoration. [12]Page view · turn 12 #0
03 · Section

Leadership influence and procedural dynamics

This is a textbook suspension‑calendar item if leadership prioritizes it.

  • Vehicle/status: House simple resolution—no Senate or presidential step. Adoption reflects the House’s sentiment only. [5]GovInfo (GPO) — Congressional Bills — Simple Resolutions explainer
  • Path to the floor: Most commemorations that move do so under suspension of the rules (limited debate; no floor amendments; two‑thirds required). Leadership clusters these votes early in the week. [4]Congressional Research Service via Congress.gov — Suspension of the Rules in th…
  • Committee stage: Measures often reach the floor without a reported committee bill; Oversight’s chair retains leverage but typically defers to leadership on noncontroversial items. [4]Congressional Research Service via Congress.gov — Suspension of the Rules in th…
  • Partisan math: The GOP majority is narrow, but suspension requires bipartisan votes anyway; this item has bipartisan caucus champions, so the two‑thirds hurdle is not binding in practice. [2]AP News — 119th Congress: Mike Johnson narrowly reelected House Speaker[8]American Hellenic Institute — AHI hosts 2025 Congressional Salute to Greek Inde…
  • Time risk: House Republican Conference guidance limits commemoratives, creating a scheduling filter; nevertheless, leadership routinely places selected commemorations on suspension when there’s bandwidth. [9]Congressional Research Service via Congress.gov — CRS: Congressional Recognitio…
04 · Section

Assessment: likelihood of passage

Bottom line from a whip perspective: votes are there; calendar is the variable.

Expected posture if scheduled under suspension
1Pass on first consideration (voice or wide roll call) — High confidence
Confidence level
90percent
Anticipated defections
1to a handful of “no/present” votes on principle
  • Rationale: Bipartisan Hellenic Caucus leadership; identical text has been introduced repeatedly with cross‑party buy‑in. [8]American Hellenic Institute — AHI hosts 2025 Congressional Salute to Greek Inde…[7]Congress.gov (Library of Congress) — H.Res.1557 (118th): Expressing support for…
  • Procedural fit: Classic suspension item requiring two‑thirds of those present; leadership clusters such measures and limits debate to 40 minutes total. [4]Congressional Research Service via Congress.gov — Suspension of the Rules in th…
  • External signaling: Greek‑American organizations (AHEPA, AHI, Oxi Day Foundation) regularly advocate and amplify these recognitions, lowering political cost and aiding bipartisan optics. [14]The Order of AHEPA — AHEPA commemorates Oxi Day; applauds Pappas‑led Oxi Day re…[15]The Order of AHEPA — AHEPA commemorates OXI Day (2024)[8]American Hellenic Institute — AHI hosts 2025 Congressional Salute to Greek Inde…[16]Washington Oxi Day Foundation — Washington Oxi Day Foundation — 2025 celebratio…
  • Countervailing factors: A small cadre (e.g., Rep. Thomas Massie) often bucks symbolic measures; effect on two‑thirds math is negligible. [6]Washington Post — Who is Thomas Massie, the GOP lawmaker Trump is threatening t…
05 · Section

Sourcing notes

Key confirmations for institutional context, sponsorship, and procedure are below; the analysis above links specific claims inline.

  • Sponsor and 10/28/2025 introduction: Pappas press listing shows “Pappas Leads Hellenic Caucus in Introducing Oxi Day Resolution.” [1]U.S. House of Representatives — Rep. Chris Pappas — Latest News (includes Oct 2…
  • Prior‑Congress pattern and identical text/cosponsors: Congress.gov entries for H.Res. 1557 (118th) and H.Res. 820 (118th). [7]Congress.gov (Library of Congress) — H.Res.1557 (118th): Expressing support for…[17]Congress.gov (Library of Congress) — H.Res.820 (118th): Expressing support for…
  • House control and leadership: AP on Johnson’s reelection as Speaker; Scalise statement on Majority Leader role. [2]AP News — 119th Congress: Mike Johnson narrowly reelected House Speaker[3]U.S. House of Representatives — Scalise statement on being re‑elected Majority…
  • Committee of referral/name and chair: Oversight committee announcements and House Historian page confirm James Comer as chair in the 119th. [11]House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform — Comer announces Oversight…[10]U.S. House—History, Art & Archives — House Historian: James Comer — includes co…
  • Procedure: GPO overview of simple resolutions; CRS (98‑314) on suspension mechanics; CRS (R48065) on commemorative practice and GOP Conference guidance. [5]GovInfo (GPO) — Congressional Bills — Simple Resolutions explainer[4]Congressional Research Service via Congress.gov — Suspension of the Rules in th…[9]Congressional Research Service via Congress.gov — CRS: Congressional Recognitio…
  • Interest‑group context: AHI and AHEPA materials; Oxi Day Foundation event pages. [8]American Hellenic Institute — AHI hosts 2025 Congressional Salute to Greek Inde…[14]The Order of AHEPA — AHEPA commemorates Oxi Day; applauds Pappas‑led Oxi Day re…[15]The Order of AHEPA — AHEPA commemorates OXI Day (2024)[16]Washington Oxi Day Foundation — Washington Oxi Day Foundation — 2025 celebratio…
  • Likely dissenter archetype: Reporting on Rep. Thomas Massie’s frequent opposition to symbolic or broad‑consensus items. [6]Washington Post — Who is Thomas Massie, the GOP lawmaker Trump is threatening t…
Sources cited
  1. [1] Rep. Chris Pappas — Latest News (includes Oct 28, 2025 Oxi Day intro item) U.S. House of Representatives
  2. [2] 119th Congress: Mike Johnson narrowly reelected House Speaker AP News
  3. [3] Scalise statement on being re‑elected Majority Leader for the 119th Congress U.S. House of Representatives
  4. [4] Suspension of the Rules in the House: Principal Features (CRS 98‑314, updated Jan. 6, 2025) Congressional Research Service via Congress.gov
  5. [5] Congressional Bills — Simple Resolutions explainer GovInfo (GPO)
  6. [6] Who is Thomas Massie, the GOP lawmaker Trump is threatening to oust? Washington Post
  7. [7] H.Res.1557 (118th): Expressing support for the designation of October 28 as Oxi Day — text and overview Congress.gov (Library of Congress)
  8. [8] AHI hosts 2025 Congressional Salute to Greek Independence Day with Hellenic Caucus co‑chairs Bilirakis and Pappas American Hellenic Institute
  9. [9] CRS: Congressional Recognition of Commemorative Days, Weeks, and Months (R48065) Congressional Research Service via Congress.gov
  10. [10] House Historian: James Comer — includes committee chair roles (119th) U.S. House—History, Art & Archives
  11. [11] Comer announces Oversight and Government Reform Committee organizational meeting (119th) House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
  12. [12] Page view · turn 12 #0
  13. [13] Web search · turn 11 #2
  14. [14] AHEPA commemorates Oxi Day; applauds Pappas‑led Oxi Day resolution The Order of AHEPA
  15. [15] AHEPA commemorates OXI Day (2024) The Order of AHEPA
  16. [16] Washington Oxi Day Foundation — 2025 celebration page Washington Oxi Day Foundation
  17. [17] H.Res.820 (118th): Expressing support for the designation of October 28 as Oxi Day — overview Congress.gov (Library of Congress)

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