New proposed rules changes drafted by Democrats in the House of Representatives could significantly alter how major legislation in that chamber moves forward.
They also could help current House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., shore up votes to take back the speaker’s gavel as she faces a tougher-than-expected leadership race. Though Pelosi has the inside track to return as the House’s first and only female speaker, a small group of lawmakers hope to block that re-ascent to power.
The changes, which incorporate feedback from various members of the House Democratic Caucus, are being circulated by Pelosi and Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., the top Democrat on the House Rules Committee.
“Transparency, openness and bipartisanship must be the guiding rules of our new Democratic House if we are to break the gridlock of Washington and make progress in the lives of hard-working Americans,” Pelosi wrote in a letter touting the package to a group of members in her caucus. The proposed rules are not final and subject to change, especially as Pelosi navigates the leadership elections within her own caucus.
One change would require a three-fifths majority to raise taxes on individuals outside the top 20 percent of income earners.
The draft rules would also eliminate dynamic budgetary scoring, which takes economic growth under consideration when determining the cost of legislation in federal spending. Republicans touted a dynamic budget score from the Joint Committee on Taxation during last year’s push to pass tax reform.
The changes circulated by Pelosi and McGovern would alter House procedure in ways that could have significant impacts on the politics surrounding legislation. Setting a higher bar for raising taxes across the board would potentially keep Democrats from being attacked for tax hikes on the middle class, while eliminating dynamic scoring may make it more difficult to pass proposals that contribute significantly to federal deficits. That might not sit well with some progressives, who might have hoped to use dynamic scoring for their own plans, like major new infrastructure projects.
If agreed upon by a majority of members in the House, the new rules would also effectively do away with standalone debt ceiling votes in the chamber, reinstating a rule that deems the debt ceiling raised if a budget is passed.
Discharge petitions, a method to circumvent the power of committee chairs by sending legislation directly to the House floor, would also gain privilege on the House floor, making them a potentially more effective tool. That could be seen favorably by more moderate Democrats who may seek to build consensus with Republicans on different policy issues.
New rules would also seek to address recent sexual harassment scandals in Congress by clarifying that staff can contact different compliance or ethics offices even if they’ve signed a nondisclosure agreement. Members of the House and staff would also be prohibited from serving on corporate boards.
Text of legislation would also have to be available 72 hours before consideration, rather than the current 24 hour-long period.
The proposed changes would also protect Pelosi, presuming she’s elected speaker, by changing the motion to vacate the chair rule that House Freedom Caucus members used to pressure former Speaker John Boehner before he resigned.
The proposed rule changes would also allow the currently nonvoting delegates from Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, and other territories to vote and serve on joint committees. During Pelosi’s previous tenure certain voting rights were granted to delegates, but they could not cast a deciding vote on the House floor.
