House Rules Committee is "Out of Order"
By Congressman Pete Sessions Posted in Congress | Congressional Contributors — Comments (8) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
“Out of Order” – A sign that deserves to be hung across the doors of the procedurally-bankrupt House Rules Committee.
Originally designed to determine House floor legislative business and to enforce the Rules that protect the integrity of the legislative process, the Democrat-controlled Rules Committee now represents a complete breakdown of debate, decorum, and deliberation for the House of Representatives.
And my Republican colleagues and I on the Rules Committee have had enough.
Today, we are releasing a report that outlines the widening chasm between the new Democrat Majority’s promises to lead the “most honest, ethical and transparent Congress in history” and the reality of the 110th Congress.
Read on . . .
Our report, entitled “Out of Order,” details a Democrat Rules Committee operated by partisan advantage, invoking the following heavy-handed tactics:
• Rewriting bills to include massive tax increases and Medicare cuts with no debate.
• Rejecting more Minority-sponsored amendments than the previous Congress.
• Issuing more than double the number of closed rules prohibiting amendments than the previous Congress.
• Reducing by an entire day the amount of time Members have to review legislation and submit amendments for consideration.
• Adopting a policy of turning some Members of Congress away at the door of the Committee when they attempt to submit amendments.
• Abandoning its pledges for regular order in the House by jamming through huge bills with less than 24 hours for review.
In a desperate effort to keep the legislative process from seeing the light of day, the Democrat Majority have repeatedly waived long-standing precedent and transparency measures. The result has been a disorganized and chaotic House as the Majority party has proven that political expediency is the Democrat’s #1 virtue.
This chaos is the product of a Democrat Majority that is willing to undermine Members’ ability to represent their constituents—effectively disenfranchising the representation of 46 percent of our nation. While they have the votes to run the House however they choose, my Democrat Rules Committee colleagues should end the triumph of politics over policy that has led to a sloppy process and sloppy results.
The American people deserve better.
To view the “Out of Order” report, please visit http://rules-republicans.house.gov
Congressman,
Thank you for posting this, but when I went to the supplied link, I was unable to locate the report.
We need more exposure of the excesses and abuses by the majority.
Here is the link.
Freedom Fighter in Occupied VA
This wouldn't be a hilarious raed if it weren't for the last six years....
Forgive me, Congressman, but this sounds just like the same sort of thing I've been listening to for the last 30 years. I see lips moving, I hear words, but I don't see any substantive action. There's a *reason* Congress is held in such low esteem by the American public, regardless of who's in the majority. My jaded political self says that as soon as you have the majority back again, all this talk about stringent ethics etc will be conveniently put on the back burner.
I guess when the Democrats talked of a culture of corruption they meant it wasn't corrupt enough. There is little more corrupt than a rubber stamp legislature, a sign without looking captive audience.
"a man's admiration for absolute government is proportinate to the contempt he feels for those around him". Tocqueville
Thank you for taking time to post on Redstate
"The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, I'm from the government and I'm here to help."
-Ronald Reagan
These abuses need to be pointed out and public but I can't help thinking some pain like this is needed once in awhile. I hope we regain the majority and hold these examples of inept democrat majority rule close to our chest to never forget the repercussions.
Two lessons to never forget.
1. Produce for the people, not for political careers.
2. Learn to quit playing pattycake and appeasing the left with political correctness when in power. They back stab you EVERY time. Dems whine about bipartisanship only to railroad the majority.
Ask not what you can do for your country, ask what your country can do for you. Washington Elected Elite
for stopping by and I would ask you why it is that your caucus does not get out with a press conference every day on all of the issues? I and others remember a daily occurrence of Reid and Pelosi etc coming out after votes that didn't go their way to tell the American public how vicious the Republicans were and guess what? that is the picture that "moderates" had going in to the booths.
If Republicans do not fight the same way I fear we will be in the minority for a long time to come.
Keep up the good fight against having our hard earned tax dollars being given away to everybody but the middle class.
Freedom of Religion not Freedom from Religion