TOPLINE: Speaker Pelosi’s rules package puts progressive activists over the American people. While families are having trouble putting food on the table, House Democrats prioritize gender-neutral language, stripping the House Minority of historic rights, and setting up massive handouts to Democrat-connected industries.
Newly-sworn-in representatives will vote on Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Chairman Jim McGovern’s rules package. The 45-page document is an embarrassing example of liberal navel-gazing at one of the most difficult and important moments in our nation’s history. Republicans will vote no. Democrats should join us.
Some of the worst provisions include:
- Dramatically alters the motion to recommit (MTR), which has been a right afforded to the minority for over 100 years, in order to stifle the voices of Republican members of Congress and the millions of constituents they represent
- The rule eliminates Motions to Recommit with instructions – meaning that it will no longer serve as the final opportunity to amend the underlying bill
- Instead, the MTR becomes a simple motion to delay further consideration of the bill by sending it back to the committee of jurisdiction
- Time for debate on the MTR will no longer be provided
- During the 116th Congress, the MTR was often the only opportunity for the minority to amend a bill because of the extremely closed process – 62 bills were brought to the floor under a closed rule and structured rules only made in order 18% of Republican amendments submitted compared to 63% of Democratic amendments
- While the purpose of the MTR has always been to ensure the minority has the ability to impact legislation, this change has nothing to do with policy and everything to do with politics
- Censors the free speech of members of Congress and employees of the House by creating an ethics violation for information shared online, even in an unofficial capacity, deemed unfounded or inappropriate by others and is likely to be enforced in a way that creates a double standard between the majority and the minority
- Exempts certain legislation from PAYGO requirements to facilitate the consideration of costly proposal like the Green New Deal and Medicare for All
- Carries forward proxy voting and remote committee proceedings
- Promotes the abuse of committee oversight authority by empowering committee chairs to unilaterally reissue subpoenas prior to populating committees or adopting committee rules, allowing for the continued litigious obsession with the Trump Administration
Please also see additional information on the rules package, courtesy of the House Committee on Rules Republicans, below.
Click here or on the image above to view the one-pager.