United States House Committee on Rules

Last updated
Committee on Rules
Standing committee
Active
Seal of the United States House of Representatives.svg
United States House of Representatives
118th Congress
US House Committee on Rules seal.png
History
FormedApril 2, 1789
Leadership
Chair Michael C. Burgess (R)
Since 2024
Ranking member Jim McGovern (D)
Since 2023
Structure
Seats13
Political partiesMajority (9)
  •   Republican (9)
Minority (4)
Jurisdiction
PurposeSpecial Rules and Original Jurisdiction
Policy areasRules and joint rules (other than those relating to the Code of Official Conduct) and the order of business of the House and Recesses and final adjournments of Congress.
Senate counterpart United States Senate Committee on Rules and Administration
Website
rules.house.gov

    The Committee on Rules (or more commonly the Rules Committee) is a committee of the United States House of Representatives. It is responsible for the rules under which bills will be presented to the House of Representatives, unlike other committees, which often deal with a specific area of policy. The committee is often considered one of the most powerful committees as it influences the introduction and process of legislation through the House. Thus it has garnered the nickname the "traffic cop of Congress". A "special rule" resolution (also referred to simply as a "rule") is a simple resolution of the House of Representatives, usually reported by the Committee on Rules, to permit the immediate consideration of a legislative measure, notwithstanding the usual order of business, and to prescribe conditions for its debate and amendment. [1]

    Contents

    Jurisdiction

    When a bill is reported out of one of the other committees, it does not go straight to the House floor, because the House, unlike the United States Senate, does not have unlimited debate and discussion on a bill. Instead, what may be said and done to a bill is strictly limited. This limitation is performed by the Rules Committee.

    Special rules

    When a bill is reported out of another committee with legislative jurisdiction, it is placed on the appropriate House Calendar for debate. Common practice, though, is for bills reported from committees to be considered in the Rules Committee, which then passes a so-called "special rule" (a resolution allowing for consideration of a bill, establishing how long and under what rules the full body will debate the proposition). A "special rule" resolution (also known simply as a "rule") is privileged under the Standing Rules of the House, meaning it is immediately subject to a debate and a vote by the full House upon being reported by the Rules Committee. If a "special rule" resolution providing for consideration of a bill is passed, then such bill must be considered the House at such a time and under such limitations as the resolution has set. In practice, a bill can get to a floor vote only if a "special rule" resolution providing for its consideration is passed (unless the Speaker grants a vote on suspension of the rules, which requires two-thirds of votes cast in order to pass).

    Consideration by the full body can occur in one of two forums: the Committee of the Whole, or on the floor of the full House of Representatives itself. Different traditions govern whether the Committee of the Whole or the House itself will debate a given resolution, and the Rules Committee generally sets the forum under which a proposition will be debated and the amendment/time limitations for every measure, too. For instance, there might be a limit on the number or types of amendments (proposed changes to the bill). Amendments might only be allowed to specific sections of the bill, or no amendments might be allowed at all. Besides control over amendments, the rule issued by the Rules Committee also determines the amount of speaking time assigned on each bill or resolution. If the leadership wants a bill pushed forward quietly, for instance, there might be no debate time scheduled; if they want attention, they might allow time for lengthy speeches in support of the bill.

    Between control over amendments, debate, and when measures will be considered, the Rules Committee exerts vast power in the House. As such, the majority party will usually be very keen on controlling it tightly. While most House committees maintain membership in a rough proportion to the full chamber (if the majority party controls 55% of the House, it will tend to have 55% of committee seats), membership on the Rules Committee is disproportionately in favor of the majority party. Furthermore, the rules committee typically operates in a very partisan fashion, advancing "special rule" resolutions to the floor on straight party line votes in nearly all cases.

    History

    The Rules Committee was formed on April 2, 1789, during the first Congress. However, it had nowhere near the powerful role it has today. Instead, it merely proposed general rules for the House to follow when debating bills (rather than passing a special rule for each bill), and was dissolved after proposing these general rules. These general rules still have a great impact on the tone of the House floor today.

    The Rules Committee, for a long time, lay dormant. For the first fifty years of its existence, it accomplished little beyond simply reaffirming these rules, and its role was very noncontroversial. On June 16, 1841, it made a major policy change, reducing from 2⁄3 to 1⁄2 the fraction of votes needed in the House to close debate and vote on a bill.

    In 1880, the modern Rules Committee began to emerge from the reorganization of the House Committees. When the Republican Party took over the House in the election of 1880, they quickly realized the power that the Rules Committee possessed. One member, Thomas Brackett Reed (R-Maine), used a seat on the Rules Committee to vault himself to the Speakership, and gained so much power that he was referred to as "Czar Reed".

    In the 1890s and 1900s, Reed and his successor, Joseph Gurney Cannon (R-Illinois) used the Rules Committee to centralize the power of the Speakership. Although their power to place members in committees and perform other functions was limited by a forced rule change in 1910, the Rules Committee retained its power. However, it ceased to function as the personal project of the Speaker, as it had originally; instead, as the seniority system took root, it was captured by a coalition of conservative Democrats and Republicans. This state of affairs would continue until the 1960s.

    In 1961, Speaker Sam Rayburn (D-Texas), acting on the wishes of the new President John F. Kennedy and the Democratic Study Group, introduced a bill to enlarge the committee from 12 members to 15, to decrease the power of the arch-conservative chairman, Howard W. Smith (D-Virginia). The bill passed, 217 votes to 212. However, it was only partially successful; the Rules Committee continued to block legislation including civil rights and education bills.

    In the 1970s, however, the Rules Committee was firmly under the command of the Speaker once again. As before, its primary role is to come up with special rules, to help or obstruct the chances of legislation reported to it.

    General types of rules

    Representative Bradley Byrne while in session. He served on the House Committee on Rules from 2015 to 2018. Bradley Byrne at United States House Committee on Rules.jpg
    Representative Bradley Byrne while in session. He served on the House Committee on Rules from 2015 to 2018.

    The Rules Committee issues the following types of "special rule" resolutions: [2]

    Most "special rule" resolutions offer time for "general debate" before any amendment consideration begins (it is also possible for the rules committee to issue a rule for "general debate" only and later issue a second rule for amendment consideration) and allow for one motion to send the bill back to its committee of origination, with or without instructions for how to modify the bill. Such resolutions may also include necessary authority for district work periods, and may waive or modify certain points of order or rules of the house if desired by the committee, and the committee is also allowed to self-execute amendments right in the rule rather than delegating this ability to the full house floor. [3]

    Members, 118th Congress

    MajorityMinority

    Resolutions electing members: H.Res. 14 (Chair), H.Res. 15 (Ranking Member), H.Res. 56 (R), H.Res. 57 (D), H.Res. 1133 (R)

    Subcommittees

    The Rules Committee operates with two subcommittees, one focusing on legislative and budget matters and one focusing on the internal operations of the House.

    SubcommitteeChairRanking Member
    Legislative and Budget Process Michelle Fischbach Teresa Leger Fernandez
    Rules and the Organization of the House Michael C. Burgess Mary Gay Scanlon

    Source: Full membership

    Chairs, 1849–1853 and 1880–present

    The Committee on Rules was created as a select committee but became a standing committee for the 31st and 32nd Congresses (1849–1853). In 1853, the panel reverted to being a select committee and remained one until 1880. [4]

    From 1880 to the revolt against Speaker Joseph Gurney Cannon in March 1910, the Speaker of the House also served as Chairman of the Rules Committee.

    Beginning in 1999 with the chairmanship of Republican David Dreier of California, the chairman of the Rules Committee became a member of the elected Republican leadership, appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

    Howard W. Smith of Virginia is the longest-serving chairman (1955–1967) since the committee's founding. David Dreier of California is the youngest chairman of the Rules Committee, assuming the position at the age of 46. He is also the longest-serving chairman (1999-2007, 2011–2013) since 1967. Louise Slaughter of New York is the first woman to chair the committee (2007–2011).

    ChairPartyStateYearsNote
    David S. Kaufman Democratic Texas 1849–1851Died in office January 31, 1851 [5]
    George W. Jones Democratic Tennessee 1851–1853 [6]
    Samuel J. Randall Democratic Pennsylvania 1880–1881 [7] [8]
    J. Warren Keifer Republican Ohio 1881–1883 [9]
    John G. Carlisle Democratic Kentucky 1883–1889 [10]
    Thomas B. Reed Republican Maine 1889–18911st term [11]
    Charles F. Crisp Democratic Georgia 1891–1895 [12]
    Thomas B. ReedRepublicanMaine1895–18992nd term
    David B. Henderson Republican Iowa 1899–1903 [13]
    Joseph G. Cannon Republican Illinois 1903–1910 [14]
    John Dalzell RepublicanPennsylvania1910–1911 [15]
    Robert L. Henry DemocraticTexas1911–1917 [16]
    Edward W. Pou Democratic North Carolina 1917–19191st term [17]
    Philip P. Campbell Republican Kansas 1919–1923 [18]
    Bertrand H. Snell Republican New York 1923–1931 [19]
    Edward W. PouDemocraticNorth Carolina1931–19342nd term. Died in

    office April 1, 1934.

    William B. Bankhead Democratic Alabama 1934–1935 [20]
    John J. O'Connor DemocraticNew York1935–1939 [21]
    Adolph J. Sabath DemocraticIllinois1939–19471st term [22]
    Leo E. Allen RepublicanIllinois1947–19491st term [23]
    Adolph J. SabathDemocraticIllinois1949–19522nd term. Died in
    office November 6, 1952.
    Leo E. AllenRepublicanIllinois1953–19552nd term
    Howard W. Smith Democratic Virginia 1955–1967 [24]
    William M. Colmer Democratic Mississippi 1967–1973 [25]
    Ray J. Madden Democratic Indiana 1973–1977 [26]
    James J. Delaney DemocraticNew York1977–1979 [27]
    Richard W. Bolling Democratic Missouri 1979–1983 [28]
    Claude D. Pepper Democratic Florida 1983–1989Died in office
    May 30, 1989 [29]
    Joe Moakley Democratic Massachusetts 1989–1995 [30]
    Gerald B. H. Solomon RepublicanNew York1995–1999 [31]
    David T. Dreier Republican California 1999–20071st term [32]
    Louise M. Slaughter DemocraticNew York2007–2011 [33]
    David T. DreierRepublicanCalifornia2011–20132nd term
    Pete Sessions RepublicanTexas2013–2019 [34]
    Jim McGovern DemocraticMassachusetts2019–2023 [35]
    Tom Cole Republican Oklahoma 2023–2024 [36]
    Michael C. Burgess RepublicanTexas2024–present [37]

    Historical members and subcommittees

    Members, 114th Congress

    MajorityMinority

    Sources: H.Res. 6 (Chairs), H.Res. 7 (D), H.Res. 17 (R) and H.Res. 22 (D).

    Members, 115th Congress

    MajorityMinority

    Sources: H.Res. 6 (R), H.Res. 7 (D), H.Res. 816 (D)

    Members, 116th Congress

    Members of the Committee social distancing at a hearing during the COVID-19 pandemic in April 2020 Doris Matsui - United States House Committee on Rules - 4-22-20.jpg
    Members of the Committee social distancing at a hearing during the COVID-19 pandemic in April 2020
    MajorityMinority

    Sources: H.Res. 7 (Chair), H.Res. 8 (Ranking Member), H.Res. 24 (D), H.Res. 25 (R), H.Res. 26 (D), H.Res. 125 (D), H.Res. 934 (D)

    Members, 117th Congress

    MajorityMinority

    Sources: H.Res. 35 (D), H.Res. 36 (R), H.Res. 63 (R), H.Res. 384 (D),

    Subcommittees
    SubcommitteeChairRanking Member
    Expedited Procedures Jamie Raskin (D-MD) Michelle Fischbach (R-MN)
    Legislative and Budget Process Joseph Morelle (D-NY) Michael C. Burgess (R-TX)
    Rules and the Organization of the House Norma Torres (D-CA) Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA)

    See also

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    References

    1. ↑ "Committee on Rules". U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Rules. Retrieved November 3, 2006.
    2. ↑ "About the Committee on Rules – History and Processes". 19 December 2013.
    3. ↑ "Rule Information". 16 April 2018.
    4. ↑ A Pre-Twentieth Century look at the House Committee on Rules, by Walter J. Olezek (House of Representatives, Rules Committee Democrats website; accessed January 16, 2011)
    5. ↑ United States Congress. "Kaufman, David Spangler (id: K000021)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress . Retrieved January 16, 2011.
    6. ↑ United States Congress. "Jones, George Washington (id: J000222)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress . Retrieved January 16, 2011.
    7. ↑ United States Congress. "Randall, Samuel Jackson (id: R000039)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress . Retrieved January 16, 2011.
    8. ↑ Committee on Rules – A History (House of Representatives, Rules Committee Democrats website; accessed January 16, 2011 (confirms Randall was Chairman)
    9. ↑ United States Congress. "Keifer, Joseph Warren (id: K000048)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress . Retrieved January 14, 2011.
    10. ↑ United States Congress. "Carlisle, John Griffin (id: C000152)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress . Retrieved January 14, 2011.
    11. ↑ United States Congress. "Reed, Thomas Brackett (id: R000128)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress . Retrieved January 14, 2011.
    12. ↑ United States Congress. "Crisp, Charles Frederick (id: C000908)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress . Retrieved January 14, 2011.
    13. ↑ United States Congress. "Henderson, David Bremner (id: H000478)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress . Retrieved January 14, 2011.
    14. ↑ United States Congress. "Cannon, Joseph Gurney (id: C000121)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress . Retrieved January 14, 2011.
    15. ↑ United States Congress. "Dalzell, John (id: D000016)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress . Retrieved January 14, 2011.
    16. ↑ United States Congress. "Henry, Robert Lee (id: H000516)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress . Retrieved January 14, 2011.
    17. ↑ United States Congress. "Pou, Edward William (id: P000474)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress . Retrieved January 15, 2011.
    18. ↑ United States Congress. "Campbell, Philip Pitt (id: C000097)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress . Retrieved January 14, 2011.
    19. ↑ United States Congress. "Snell, Bertrand Hollis (id: S000652)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress . Retrieved January 14, 2011.
    20. ↑ United States Congress. "Bankhead, William Brockman (id: B000113)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress . Retrieved January 14, 2011.
    21. ↑ United States Congress. "O'Connor, John Joseph (id: O000030)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress . Retrieved January 14, 2011.
    22. ↑ United States Congress. "Sabath, Adolph Joachim (id: S000001)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress . Retrieved January 14, 2011.
    23. ↑ United States Congress. "Allen, Leo Elwood (id: A000138)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress . Retrieved January 14, 2011.
    24. ↑ United States Congress. "Smith, Howard Worth (id: S000554)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress . Retrieved January 14, 2011.
    25. ↑ United States Congress. "Colmer, William Meyers (id: C000645)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress . Retrieved January 14, 2011.
    26. ↑ United States Congress. "Madden, Ray John (id: M000039)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress . Retrieved January 14, 2011.
    27. ↑ United States Congress. "Delaney, James Joseph (id: D000211)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress . Retrieved January 14, 2011.
    28. ↑ United States Congress. "Bolling, Richard Walker (id: B000605)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress . Retrieved January 14, 2011.
    29. ↑ United States Congress. "Pepper, Claude Denson (id: P000218)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress . Retrieved January 14, 2011.
    30. ↑ United States Congress. "Moakley, John Joseph (id: M000834)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress . Retrieved January 14, 2011.
    31. ↑ United States Congress. "Solomon, Gerald Brooks Hunt (id: S000675)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress . Retrieved January 14, 2011.
    32. ↑ United States Congress. "Dreier, David Timothy (id: D000492)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress . Retrieved January 14, 2011.
    33. ↑ United States Congress. "Slaughter, Louise McIntosh (id: S000480)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress . Retrieved January 14, 2011.
    34. ↑ United States Congress. "Sessions, Pete (id: S000250)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress . Retrieved January 26, 2013.
    35. ↑ United States Congress. "McGovern, Jim (id: M000312)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress . Retrieved January 7, 2023.
    36. ↑ United States Congress. "Cole, Tom (id: C001053)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress . Retrieved February 6, 2023.
    37. ↑ United States Congress. "Burgess, Michael C. (id: B001248)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress . Retrieved April 10, 2024.

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