Republicans cautiously move forward with deal to change House rules: ‘Trust-building exercise’

House Republicans are cautiously moving forward with a deal to change how the lower chamber operates, with centrist lawmakers privately crossing their fingers that their rabble-rouser colleagues hold up their end of the deal in January 2025.

GOP lawmakers crafted a deal this week to drop rule changes to discourage members from disrupting legislative business after members of the conservative Freedom Caucus criticized the proposals as seeking to punish certain members who speak out against leadership. Instead, leaders of the centrist Main Street Caucus agreed to withdraw their proposed amendments in exchange for a new threshold to the motion to vacate, a procedure that allows members to vote on removing the House speaker.