House Republicans are planning to change the rules of Congress, and one lawmaker, Jim McGovern (D-MA), is warning that it will lead to even more dysfunction and chaos. McGovern shared his concerns in a post on X (formerly Twitter) Wednesday night, criticizing the proposed changes.
McGovern said that the new rules would make the government even more unorganized and dysfunctional. He mentioned that instead of trying to work with Democrats to solve important issues, House Republicans are focusing on serving their own interests. He also pointed out that these changes would make it harder for House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) to be re-elected, as some members of his own party oppose him.
One of the biggest concerns McGovern raised was the way Republicans plan to change the role of the Speaker of the House. Under the new rules, only Republicans would be able to move to remove the Speaker, which would make it harder for the Speaker to be held accountable. McGovern called this an “anti-democratic” move that he compared to something seen in authoritarian governments. He argued that this change would show that Republicans are not interested in working together with Democrats, but rather pushing forward their own extreme policies.
Additionally, McGovern criticized the 12 bills introduced by the House Rules Committee, claiming that none of them would address issues affecting everyday Americans. He said the bills don’t focus on helping workers, lowering grocery prices, reducing rent, or tackling inflation and healthcare costs. McGovern also pointed out that the new rules would make it harder to amend the bills, even if members from both parties wanted to make changes. He argued that this lack of transparency and openness goes against the will of the American people.
McGovern finished his post by warning that Democrats would not stand by while Republicans try to turn the House of Representatives into a place that only supports extreme policies. He emphasized that the American people did not vote for these kinds of changes and that Democrats would fight to protect the integrity of Congress.
