pass a bill under the hammer

pass a bill under the hammer
 v. phr.— «Thousands of bills were considered during the legislative session and 466 roll call votes were taken. The vast majority of bills are voted unanimously to either pass or fail out of committee and the House of Representatives usually honors the wishes of the committee with a unanimous vote on the floor that is not recorded. This process is called passing a bill “under the hammer.”» —“Rep. Giles voted 100 percent of time” by Beth Staples in Augusta Village Soup (Maine) May 21, 2008. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)