No. of Recommendations: 12
Doesn't mean a thing, unless they can override a veto.
Oh, but it does. Sure, the legislation isn't likely ever to become law. Not just because of the veto - leadership has more control over on the Senate side, and if they object the bill won't ever see a floor vote there. Won't even get to a veto.
But these votes have political consequences - which is why the Democrats keep pressing them, and why leadership has always wielded control over the vote agenda to protect their members. Control over the agenda means you can keep your members from having to vote on things that split your party but unify the other one. Those votes end up being potent grist for the campaigns. Sure, these things individually only have small impacts - but the campaigns and elections are made up of the accumulation of all those small impacts, and forcing House members to take tough votes that leadership can't protect them from is a part of what you do to soften up an incumbent a bit.
