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With the 118th Congress set to begin Tuesday, House Republican leaders are out with their proposed rules for the new legislative session.
In what marks a substantial concession from Kevin McCarthy, the California Republican vying for the speakership, the rules package would allow just five Republicans to force a vote on ousting a speaker. For a Congress with at least a handful of “Never Kevin” Republicans, that provision means McCarthy’s potential speakership could be short-lived.
Republicans, who will gain the majority with a thin margin over Democrats, are poised to hit the ground running by restoring the chamber to pre-COVID order. In a “Dear Colleague” letter Sunday night saying “Congress is broken and needs to change,” McCarthy said he would immediately halt proxy voting in the House.
Committee chairs would have limited authority “to allow [non-governmental] witnesses to appear remotely at” proceedings under the new rules.
GOP leaders would also remove entry magnetometers, create a new select committee on the alleged “weaponization” of the DOJ and FBI, and more, per the new rules.
But for those changes to take effect, the House will need to pass the Republican majority’s rules package in what will be the chamber’s first order of business after electing a speaker, a process that could take longer than usual when Congress convenes Tuesday.
