How to heal the House

Some will claim that the recent budget deal indicates that the U.S. House of Representatives is not the dysfunctional circus that it’s purported to be. But look at what it took just to get that deal done: the resignation of the Speaker of the House, arduous negotiations among numerous factions, White House intervention, and last minute horse-trading. All of this, just to avoid shutting down the entire federal government, and costing our economy billions of dollars. 

In my view, the fundamental problem is the so-called “Hastert Rule.” This concept, which has no legal basis, dictates that only bills supported by a “majority of the majority” are brought to a vote.  More recently, the Hastert Rule has mutated into a precept that 218 Republicans must support a bill that comes to a vote, or there will be a vote to dethrone the Speaker.  This has given dictatorial power to a minority of the majority, the so-called Freedom Caucus. 

{mosads}This is why we had a government shutdown two years ago.  This is why we have been brought to the brink, over and over again, on appropriations bills, debt ceiling bills, the Hurricane Sandy relief bill, etc.  In each case, disaster was avoided only when a “must pass” bill was put to a vote with solid Democratic support, and scant GOP support.  And important bipartisan bills, such as comprehensive immigration reform, simply never come to a vote in the House.  

The Hastert Rule enables, in effect, a unilateral filibuster by the Speaker of the House. If he doesn’t want us to vote on something, then we don’t vote on it.  The House just went for 13 years without a single exception to that.  The Boehner Regime can be summed up in these three words: “Let’s do nothing.” 

This is madness. It makes the greatest democracy in the history of the world look helpless and foolish. It has to stop. 

Before he was elevated to Speaker, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) called for reform of the House Rules.  Unfortunately, however, it appears that the only rule change that he contemplated was a self-serving change to prevent him from being expelled in the midst of his term.  That would be a step in the wrong direction. 

There is a quick, easy, and effective way to eliminate The Hastert Rule, and bring democracy back to the House. Changing the discharge petition rule to require the signatures of only one-third of House members (145, instead of a majority of 218) would kill this rule once and for all. It would end the threats to shut down the entire government over the debt ceiling, the budget, the fiscal cliff, or whatever self-inflicted precipice looms next.  

In the movie musical 1776, Stephen Hopkins says, “Well, in all my years, I ain’t never heard, seen, nor smelled an issue that was so dangerous it couldn’t be talked about.” There is no issue that is so dangerous that it can’t be voted on.  On the contrary, the failure to vote on compelling issues is exactly what endangers us. 

Why are we spending time voting on renaming post offices, awarding medals, establishing commissions and ordering reports, when we could be voting on immigration reform, the minimum wage, gun safety, tax reform, infrastructure projects, etc.?  It’s time for the People’s House to do the People’s business.

Grayson has represented Florida’s 9^th Congressional District since 2013. He previously represented Florida’s 8^th Congressional District from 2009 to 2001. He sits on the Foreign Affairs and the Science, Space and Technology committees.