Pelosi mulls House rules change to thwart GOP amendments
by Susan Ferrechio
| February 28, 2019 02:34 PM
Speaker Nancy Pelosi indicated Thursday that Democrats could change House rules in a way that would make it harder for Republicans to make last-minute tweaks to legislation, a move that the GOP warned would amount to a suppression of their rights as the minority party.
Pelosi, D-Calif., said a bipartisan panel reviewing how the House operates may also examine a floor procedure known as the “motion to recommit.†The MTR, as it is known, effectively gives the minority party a chance to amend legislation just before it's about to be passed.
Normally, those amendments are easily blocked by the majority. But Republicans have scored two victories so far with MTR measures by luring in Democrats from swing districts, and Democratic leaders aren't happy about it.
On Wednesday, for example, Republicans managed to amend a gun control bill with a provision requiring illegal immigrants who attempt to purchase guns to be reported to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The measure passed with the help of more than two dozen Democrats, many from districts that back President Trump.
more
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/congress/pelosi-mulls-house-rules-change-to-thwart-gop-amendments
