<< 15 days, 19 hours, 12 minutes: EDALT >>. … … … I have no problem shutting down rules that can be and have been misused by minority trumpublicans who have no regard for for norms or for extending those rules beyond their intended use as a means for suppressing the majority. I believe that there are many structural and procedural changes needed in all three branches of our government to get our country back on track to bring as ‘great’ as what it used to be and the even ‘greater’ country that we could still become. The legislature needs the greatest changes to remove the corrupting influence of big money - to keep our legislators focused on finding compromise and legislating solely for the benefit of the country instead of using their offices to raise campaign funds and other funds for political purposes, toeing the party ‘line’, managing their personal investments or peddling their political influence. … … … I consider these rules to be a minor step in the right direction; a pathway to continued dialogue leading to further changes for a more effective, focused, and less corruptible by big money influence Congress that can focus solely on the needs of the country instead of their self-serving needs to support benefactors and/or raise political and reelection campaign funding.

Finally! It has taken years for Democrats to figure out that the Republicans are not going to negotiate. They either get their way or make it impossible for anything to get done (then, blame it on the Democrats!) The ones who get hurt are all of us! This needed to be done. A word of caution to the Democratic leadership ...don’t become the minority!!!

@Brian: Agree with your concern about blocking amendments from the minority party which is eerily similar to what McConnell does in the Senate and I don’t like that either. It would be better to author bipartisan legislation that doesn’t need amending like the Problem Solvers Caucus does. Partisanship legislation (authored by one party with their lobbyists without negotiations, with thousands of pages, and only one copy delivered 24 hours before a vote) needs to stop if we are going to get legislation passed to improve things in the US. It’s a my way or the Highway style of negotiating (or not), operating & governing. @MarilynF: Agree that there should be other ways to handle amendments for the reasons you so clearly identified. Instead of restricting the minority party the restriction should be against unrelated amendments to create more focused legislation and block anyone’s pet projects from being added on.

I like most of these rules, but I do wonder if banning the minority from making amendments will cause more division. I don't want the minority party to be able to block legislation, but I also don't want to steamroll them with every opportunity. That said, maybe the whole point of the Senate is to deliberate and the House should just worry about the other party in power over there.

The Rules Committee of each Congress has the right and responsibility of confirming and adjusting the House Rules at the start of each new Congress. The Rules, as approved by that Congress, apply for the duration of that Congress. Custom and precedent has almost always prevailed, at least in times free of major national conflicts, and most Rules Committees have simply recommitted the Congress to the previously established Rules of the prior Congress. However, there is no Constitutional requirement that they do so. It has always been an accepted practice. Under the current circumstances, however, the dangerous precedent that the administration of Donald Trump has set in motion calls for a clear, strong and deterrent action on the part of all branches of government to confront and shine a light on the perpetrators and the actions they have undertaken to dismantle and undermine the institutions of our democratic republic. We can not contribute to sweeping anything under the carpet if we hope to regain any measure of control over the forces set in motion by those I prefer to call traitors and seditionists! That does not mean, however, that those who have managed to save our institutions from complete destruction should take revenge. And I believe the Democrats and those Republicans who have sided with them understand their obligations in the face of this travesty. If we fail to uncover and reveal all to the American people, and to punish both the perpetrators and the Party they dragged into this treason, future generations of Americans will not have a strong history to rest their actions against future attempts of a similar nature, which will most certainly arise. They will arise anyway because the existence of fascist elements within our society is permitted by our Constitution. However, their control of our government cannot be permitted if we wish to maintain a democracy. I am, therefore, committed fully to the decisión of the 117th Congress changing the Rules as needed to ensure that accountability prevails with regard to the Republicans and the GOP. Holding them accountable is an absolute must. I trust the Democratic leaders of both branches to do so carefully and wisely. The Rules now adopted can, and likely will, change with the next Congress. In the meantime, such changes strengthen the hand of Congress to reassert its proper role in the triple-branch balance of power.