House Rules Package Revamps Speaker Removal, Kills Diversity Office, and Embraces AI: Your Guide to the 119th Congress

The House just dropped its rulebook for the 119th Congress, and it's a mix of the usual procedures, some eyebrow-raising changes, and a big push toward tech. This resolution sets the ground rules for how the House operates, impacting everything from how bills get passed to who gets to use the gym. Let's break down what's actually going on and what it means for you.

Remaking the Rules

This section outlines key changes to House operations. A significant shift is how the Speaker of the House can be removed. Now, it takes a resolution with at least eight co-sponsors from the majority party to even trigger a vote (SEC. 2). This could make it harder to challenge the Speaker's authority, potentially centralizing power.

Committees can now go digital with their voting, thanks to new rules allowing electronic voting systems (SEC. 2). While this could speed things up, it also raises questions about security. Are these systems hack-proof? The bill doesn't offer many specifics there.

In a controversial move, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion is getting axed (SEC. 2). This raises concerns about the House's commitment to inclusivity and how diverse voices will be represented in staffing and policy decisions. It also modifies the language in rule XXIII to replace terms like "parent, child, sibling, parents sibling, first cousin, siblings child, spouse, parent-in-law, child-in-law, sibling-in-law, stepparent, stepchild, stepsibling, half-sibling, or grandchild" with "father, mother, son, daughter, brother, sister, uncle, aunt, first cousin, nephew, niece, husband, wife, father-in-law, mother-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, stepfather, stepmother, stepson, stepdaughter, stepbrother, stepsister, half brother, half sister, grandson, or granddaughter" and replaces "parent, child, sibling, spouse, or parent-in-law" with "father, mother, son, daughter, brother, sister, husband, wife, father-in-law, or mother-in-law".

Another key change is how bill numbers are assigned. The first 20 are now reserved for party leadership, giving them more control over the legislative agenda (SEC. 2).

Dollars and Decisions

This part gets into the nitty-gritty of budget rules and oversight. The "Holman Rule" is back, allowing lawmakers to target specific government employees or programs for spending cuts (SEC. 3). This could be used to defund programs or even get rid of individual positions.

The bill also puts new requirements on the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). They now have to flag bills that could significantly increase long-term spending or have inflationary effects (SEC. 3). Think of the CBO as the official scorekeeper, and these new rules change what they're looking for.

There's also a new setup for how Congressional Member Organizations (CMOs) are staffed. A Member can now assign an employee to a CMO, shifting their salary to a special account (SEC. 3). While this might streamline some operations, it could also make it harder to track how funds are being used.

Tech Takeover and Transparency Tweaks

The House is going all-in on Artificial Intelligence. This resolution directs House officers to keep integrating AI, aiming for smoother operations and better oversight (SEC. 3). This could be a game-changer, but it also raises questions about bias, privacy, and the potential for unintended consequences.

On the transparency front, the bill pushes for more legislative documents to be available in machine-readable formats (SEC. 3). This is a win for public access, making it easier for people to track what's happening in Congress.

Lobbyists, however, are losing their gym privileges. The resolution specifically bans them from House exercise facilities (SEC. 3). This could impact how lobbyists interact with lawmakers, at least in the informal setting of the House gym.

Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) are also getting a tweak. Now, any NDA in the House must allow employees to talk to the Ethics Committee or the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights without getting prior approval (SEC. 3). This boosts transparency and makes it easier for staffers to report wrongdoing.

Finally, Members of Congress will now have to reimburse the Treasury for discrimination settlements they personally commit (SEC. 3). This increases accountability and puts lawmakers on the hook for their own actions.

Special Committees and Streamlined Processes

This section covers the continuation of specific House entities and sets up a streamlined process for considering a group of bills.

The Select Committee on the Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party is getting extended (SEC. 4). This committee is tasked with countering threats from China, and its work will continue into the next Congress.

Section 5 lays out a fast-track process for considering a dozen bills on topics ranging from defining sex in sports to immigration enforcement and abortion restrictions. This streamlined approach limits debate and could speed up the passage of these bills.