The Hill News

Yesterday, House Republicans released a proposed package of rules changes for the 112th Congress. These changes will be considered during the continued organizational meeting of the House Republican Conference in early January and on the opening day of the 112th Congress.
 
 
Honoring the Pledge to America
 
As promised in the Pledge, members will not be able to introduce a bill or joint resolution without a “statement citing as specifically as practicable the power or powers granted to Congress in the Constitution to enact” it. This will serve to refocus members of Congress, with every bill they introduce, on the Constitution that they take an oath to support and defend.
 
Keeping another promise made in the Pledge, under the new House rules, no bill will be voted upon without being available online for at least three calendar days. The rules package reads, “it shall not be in order to consider a bill or joint resolutio! n which has not been reported by a committee until the third calendar day…on which such measure has been publicly available in electronic form.” This will ensure members, the media, and the American people have an opportunity to read the bill before any vote.

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