Stauber Statement on Pelosi’s Newest Power Grab
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Pete Stauber (MN-08) released the following statement after voting against H. Res. 8, Adopting the Rules of the House of Representatives for the 117th Congress, a rules package put forward by Speaker Pelosi that would erode the rights of the minority party in the House of Representatives and silence the voices of millions of Americans by eliminating a House Rule that's been in existence for over 200 years.
"I am incredibly disappointed in Speaker Pelosi's radical rules package which silences the minority, censors the free speech of Members of Congress, and paves the way for expensive socialist policies like the Green New Deal. One of the most egregious provisions eliminates the longstanding motion to recommit, one of the very few legislative tools the minority party has to amend a bill before a vote. By doing this, Speaker Pelosi has once again displayed her contempt for Americans living in the 211 Congressional Districts represented by Republicans, many of which are largely rural.
"Also included in this new rules package is a provision that allows Speaker Pelosi and Democrat leadership to censor the free speech of Members of Congress and their staff by making it an ethics violation to express views that Democrats deem as "misinformation" or "offensive". To attack the First Amendment rights of any American is a terrible abuse of power.
"And finally, this package paves a special path for "climate change" bills by exempting them from pay-as-you-go rules. In addition to its $93 trillion price tag that will devastate American families, the Green New Deal will also eliminate key industries which many in my District rely on, like mining and farming. This only reaffirms my belief that the Speaker does not care about rural communities like the one I represent.
"This package is an outright attack on the minority party and those we represent. The Speaker's desperate power grab not only demonstrates her disregard for America's heartland, but also her inability to unify the Members of her own Caucus and put forward legislative solutions that actually benefit the American people. As Rules Committee Ranking Member Tom Cole correctly stated, this bill's passage represents a dark day for the preservation of free and thoughtful debate in this institution."
Background:
During the 116th Congress, Republicans "won" eight Motion to Recommit votes by offering amendments that were attractive to moderate Democrats who took issue with the far-left policies put forward by Democrat leadership. With the passage of this package, this option will no longer be available.
The Motion to Recommit has been around since the beginning of the House as an institution and has been in its present form since 1909.
###