House Democrats have railed against the change, noting that for the first time in U.S. history the minority party would be restricted from introducing a motion to vacate. "Instead of electing a Speaker of the House, they have decided to elect a Speaker of the Republican Conference - held hostage by their most extreme members," said House Rules Committee ranking member Jim McGovern (D-Mass.).
The new rules make it so that a vote on removing the speaker can only be brought if at least nine Republicans support what is called a 'motion to vacate.' That is a significantly higher bar than in the 118th Congress when any single member in either party could force such a motion.
The 37-page rules package also formally eliminates the House's Diversity and Inclusion office, a longtime priority of House Republicans. It renames the House Oversight and Accountability Committee to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee - the name it held before Republicans retook the House under President Biden.
One provision restricts the House from holding what are known as 'suspension' votes after Wednesdays. It effectively restricts GOP leadership's ability to pass major legislation with help from Democrats.
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