|
Democrats redo House rules, end GOP influence
By LARRY MARGASAK
Associated Press
January 7, 2009
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Majority Democrats rewrote House rules Tuesday on the first day of the new Congress to wipe out the small sliver of influence that minority Republicans finessed to win small victories on gun rights, immigration and an investigation of gasoline prices.
Democrats passed the bill over Republican objections, 242-181 on a mostly party-line vote.
Republicans in the last Congress were able to achieve small victories -- often only temporarily -- by clever use of House rules. Republicans would seek to send bills back to a committee to add provisions that often were unrelated to the wider bill, but which were popular enough to gain some Democratic rank-and-file support. Democrats had to withdraw such bills to prevent that from happening.
The bills usually were passed later after Democratic leaders rounded up support.
Still, the GOP maneuvering was enough of an annoyance to get Democrats to rewrite the rules. The change would prevent the minority from sending a bill back to committee for burial. Republicans still could try to amend a bill under a procedure that would allow a vote within minutes.
"We were victims of our own success," said Rep. Roy Blunt, R-Mo. "It was the only tool available to us and we used it to great success."
Rep. Louise Slaughter, D-N.Y., chairwoman of the House Rules Committee, responded to Republican complaints about the change with a vow to defend minority rights "to the death."
But she added, one would have to be Alice in Wonderland to think the Republicans wanted "anything other than a way to kill" legislation they didn't like.
Among the legislation stopped, at least temporarily, by Republicans in the previous Congress:
--A public housing bill, after a Republican lawmaker offered a motion to make illegal immigrants ineligible for financial assistance under the legislation.
--A bill to grant District of Columbia residents voting rights in Congress, set aside after Republicans sought to restore gun rights to citizens of the District.
--Legislation to authorize defense projects and give troops a pay raise and increased health benefits, thwarted by a Republican motion to create a National Intelligence Estimate on the impact of gasoline prices.
--The appropriations bill for the departments of Labor and Health and Human Services, stopped by a proposal to use education funds for criminal background checks.
Another rewritten rule would end Republican-imposed, six-year term limits on committee chairmen and make it harder for GOP lawmakers to offer alternative legislation.
Other changes would:
--Impose a longer disclosure period for House members negotiating a post-government job. Under the change, negotiations must be reported until the lawmaker leaves office. Previously, the disclosure directive ended when a successor was elected.
--Make it easier to object to "air drop" earmarks: special projects added to legislation by House-Senate conferees after both houses already had approved legislation.
Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
++ Discuss this topic in The Forum
Current rating:  4.8 out of 5.0 (54 total votes)
| 
