The House of Representatives has recently adopted new rules for the 119th Congress that have stirred controversy among lawmakers. One of the key changes is the adjustment of the threshold required to trigger a vote to remove the sitting speaker.
Previously, the threshold was set at just one member, a rule that led to the ousting of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy in the 118th Congress. However, the new rules now raise the threshold to nine members, all of whom must be from the majority party, to call for a vote to depose the speaker.
This move has sparked criticism from Democrats, who argue that it shields the speaker from being held accountable by the entire chamber and undermines the role of the minority party in the House. Representative Jim McGovern expressed concerns that this change would limit the ability of all members to participate in the decision-making process.
The change in rules is a result of negotiations between the conservative House Freedom Caucus and the more moderate Republican Main Street Caucus. In addition to the threshold adjustment, the new rules package includes language changes to make family terms more gender-specific and limits the House Speaker's power to expedite bills to the House floor.
One notable restriction is that the House Speaker can now only use a mechanism called 'suspension of the rules' to rush a bill to a vote on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. This change comes after Speaker Johnson faced backlash for using this method to pass legislation with Democratic support, angering some hardline GOP members.
Overall, the new rules set by the House of Representatives aim to reshape the dynamics of power within the chamber and streamline legislative processes. However, the contentious nature of these changes reflects the ongoing tensions between different factions within the House.
