Pelosi to change House rules?

[Pseudolus]

I'm seeing a lot of blah-blah about Pelosi trying to undo 180-year-old rules about the way the House of Reps operates. Anyone have a straightforward, non-tendtious explanation of what's really going on, or a link thereto?

[4sigma]

http://www.c-span.org/guide/congress...y/morecomm.htm

1) The rules committee gets to decide the rules under which a bill is brought to the floor.

2) Often the Democrats are bringing bills to the floor with a rule that no amendments are allowed. The bill must be voted up or down.

3) If you want to amend the bill that has a "no amendments" rule, you can sort of accomplish the same thing with a procedural motion, a "motion to recommit" which returns a bill to committee. (Where it can be amended.)

4) A motion to recommit can also be "with instructions", which allows the person making the motion to effectively propose an amendment, even if no amendments are allowed under the "rule". Because it isn't technically an amendment. It's a procedural motion.

5) My understanding is that Republicans have been using these motions to recommit as a sort of protest for not being allowed to offer amendments. And perhaps loading them up with instructions like "recommend the committee to amend the bill to do X, Y, Z, and support motherhood and apple pie." Then if the dems vote the motion down, Republicans can claim it as a vote against motherhood and apple pie.

6) Nancy Pelosi is getting tired of this, and is considering changing the house rules on the procedural priority of these motions to recommit.

[Feif]

Pelosi is having a temper tantrum.

[Griffin 6]

Originally Posted by 4sigma

6) Nancy Pelosi is getting tired of this, and is considering changing the house rules on the procedural priority of these motions to recommit.

I heard that it is wrong, wrong, wrong to ever change rules in Congress just because you don't like the way the other side is using them.

[Griffin 6]

Besides, everyone knows that the proper way to attach an amendment to a bill is to use a paperclip.

[The Diabolical Biz Markie]

Ah, thank goodness we elected the democrats and got rid of all that partisan rancor that the republicans were responsible for.

Sweet harmony.

[Griffin 6]

Originally Posted by The Diabolical Biz Markie

Ah, thank goodness we elected the democrats and got rid of all that partisan rancor that the republicans were responsible for.

Sweet harmony.

Speaking of sweet harmony, I heard that you've admitted that PP is a wonderful organization that does a lot of good for the dirls it serves.

[4sigma]

Nothing to see here, folks. This thread was over after 2 posts. Move along.

Mods, please lock this thread.

[gomer_tree]

It would be much easier to change house rules than it would be to allow amendments to be voted on.

[Griffin 6]

Originally Posted by gomer_tree

It would be much easier to change house rules than it would be to allow amendments to be voted on.

Until the Democratics are in the minority again. The House rules will become sacred again.