The vote in question was on a Republican motion to bar illegal immigrants from receiving taxpayer-funded benefits. The tally was very close, and in the end Democrats announced that the measure had failed, even though it appeared several members on both sides were in the midst of changing their votes. Republican believe the vote was actually in their favor when the gavel came down.

"There's no doubt in my mind that it's politics," Hoyer said, explaining that he believed Republicans were still angry at criticism they received from Democrats on procedural issues back when they controlled the House.

Hoyer did allow, as he has before, that he understood the GOP's frustration that the vote was called as a loss for their side even as the House's electronic vote board seemed to show them winning. "The minority was rightfully angry and upset by that disparity, by that contradiction," he said.

But Republicans made clear they believed last August's vote was most certainly a big deal, worth the time, worth the money and worth the effort to break down that night's events almost second-by-second. The special committee's top Republican, Rep. Mike Pence (Ind.), said in his opening statement that the disputed event "was a dark moment in the history of the United States House of Representatives and must never be allowed to happen again."