In one of the first official acts of the 114th Congress, the House on Tuesday will vote on a new package of rules governing the chamber that will, among other things, continue to curb a controversial Medicare panel and make it easier to build support for tax reform.
Here’s a look at some of the proposed rules:
Reducing the power of the ‘death panel’ with no members
First passed in 2013, the House will again vote on a rule to makes it easier for the House to ignore cost-cutting proposals from the Independent Payment Advisory Board, a Republican-opposed board created under Obamacare that is intended to reduce Medicare costs. Republican opposition has prevented anyone from being appointed to the panel.
Changing the way the costs of major legislation are calculated
The House will vote to direct the Congressional Budget Office and the Joint Tax Committee to use “dynamic scoring” to determine the fiscal impact to federal coffers of major legislation. In other words, they must calculate the impact of potential economic growth that might result from legislation, and in particular, corporate tax reform.
Continuation of House lawsuits against the Obama administration
The rules package allows the House to continue to pursue a lawsuit filed in November over implementation of Obamacare’s employer mandate. Another provision keeps active a lawsuit against the Justice Department over the release of documents related to the disastrous “Fast and Furious” gun-walking program.
More deposition power
The rules package includes a provision that would expand deposition power to the Energy and Commerce, Financial Services, Science, Space and Technology and Ways and Means Committees. Usually such additional authority is granted on a case-by-case basis.
Benghazi investigation
The House rules package allows for the continuation of a special committee empaneled last year to examine the Obama administration’s response and actions leading up to the Sept. 11, 2012, terrorist attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya. The attack killed Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans. Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., will continue to lead the panel.
