The House of Representatives is often called the “People’s House” because it is the government body closest to the people with members facing election every two years.
I know that elections have consequences. Democrats won fair and square and earned the right to govern by holding on to control of the House and gaining seats. However, whether I am in the majority or the minority, it doesn’t change my core belief that legislation is best made when regular order and process are followed and the input of all members is heard and considered – regardless of party affiliation.
But on our first day back at work, Democrats effectively took away the legislative rights of conservatives – silencing the voices of the more than 130 million people represented by Republican Members of Congress, including more than 60% of Texans.
They’ve changed the rules of the House to stack the deck in their favor. These new rules are really old rules. They revert back to the undemocratic one-party rule and backroom politics that ran Washington for decades and led to higher taxes, unruly spending and larger government.
I believe that how we do things here in Washington is almost as important as what we do because the two are interlinked. The rules governing the way legislation is crafted has a direct effect on the final product.
After Republicans gained the majority in the House in 1995, the chamber adopted rules to limit the terms of all committee chairs to three terms in order to reward new ideas, innovation, and merit rather than the strict longevity that determined chairmanships in the past – a reform that was reversed last week by the new Democratic rules package. The new rules imposed upon Congress by the Democrats consolidate the power of Committee chairs by ending those term limits.
They further shut down free and open debate on the House floor by refusing to allow all members the opportunity to offer substantive alternatives to important legislation – opportunities that Republicans guaranteed to Democrats as “motions to recommit” during their 12 years in the Minority. This proposed change prevents conservative Members from exposing and offering proposals to eliminate tax increases and earmarks hidden by the Democratic Majority in larger pieces of legislation.
Another one of the rule changes pushed through by liberals acts as a gag order. It effectively eliminates the minority member’s rights to give opening statements during Congressional Hearings. On top of that Democrats have basically given themselves the ability to subpoena anyone at anytime - no matter the cause.
Democrats have also set up an unfair advantage by breaking with tradition and stacking the most influential committees with extra members from their party.
I am the highest ranking Republican on the Energy and Commerce Committee and the situation there is a perfect example of this injustice. Democrats took an additional three seats on this vitally important committee. Unfair ratios can be found on other major committees as well, including Ways and Means, Appropriations and Education and Labor. It all adds up to millions of Americans being left without proportional or adequate representation in committees responsible for writing critical legislation that will affect the lives of every citizen.
These new rules are turning President Obama’s pledge of openness and transparency into another empty political promise.
The new president wants Congress to work together to pass legislation to help our ailing economy, but Nancy Pelosi and the other Democratic leaders have crafted rules to shut Republicans out of the process.
And for those of you that still don’t think rules and processes are important, remember the rules and processes are what separate the United States from military dictatorships. The rules and processes are what ensure our government is “of, for and by the people.”
I know because of these changes I will have to work harder to make sure my conservative viewpoints – the ones you sent me here to represent - are heard and considered. As we move forward, I promise Republicans will strive to be the party of better solutions, not just opposition. Democrats may be trying to silence our voices, but they can’t stifle our spirit.
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