So there’s no dearth of emotions and sharp feelings among House Republicans at the moment. And CNN reported that if Boehner allows a vote on a bill to fund the DHS without blocking the president’s action, then conservative representatives may move to vacate the chair, which would threaten his speakership.

Professor Larry Larmer of the University of Wisconsin-Extension writes that, “When the chair is vacated, the chairperson’s rights of participation are the same as those of any other member.”

“Upon vacating, the chairperson is not permitted to resume the duties of presiding until the issue pending at the time of vacating is no longer before the group,” Larmer continued.

It’s not the kind of parliamentary procedure that gets whipped out every day, and CNN didn’t elaborate on how a motion to vacate the chair could remove Boehner from the speakership. Parliamentarian Nancy Sylvester defines vacating the chair as “To temporarily relinquish the chair so that the presiding officer can participate in debate.”