Paul Ryan Changing Rules to Make Amendments From House Democrats Harder to Pass

After GOP Embarrassed on LGBT Bills Speaker Tells House Republicans Behind Closed Doors He Will Restrict Process

Upon taking the gavel from John Boehner, Paul Ryan promised all representatives the House would return to regular order, and they would find it easier to submit and pass legislation. Last month anti-LGBT amendments were attached to major spending bills, and pro-equality Democrats embarrassed Republicans by publicly calling them out on their efforts, promised to defeat them in November, and passed pro-LGBT amendments to overturn the GOP’s anti-LGBT legislation. Now, the Republican Speaker of the House has a new plan.

Speaker Ryan on Wednesday behind closed doors told Republican House members he will restrict the amendment process, effectively thwarting one of the few avenues Democrats have to advance their legislation, given the vast majority of the House is Republican, and bipartisanship is rare in today’s toxic environment.

Ryan “is cracking down on Democrats’ ability to win floor votes on hotly contested issues such as LGBT rights,” the Associated Press reports late Wednesday morning. “The move means Ryan is reneging on a promise to protect the rights of lawmakers to take on a wide range of issue when the House debates annual spending bills.”

Politico adds that an unnamed House aide “said Ryan is hearing that members ‘want the Rules Committee to make sure we can govern as a majority and not allow Democrats to use the amendment process to take down the bills and derail the House’s work. It’s clear Democrats will continue to offer contentious amendments, but then not support bills on final passage.'”

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Those “contentious amendments” include codifying President Barack Obama’s 2014 executive orders banning federal contractors from discriminating against LGBT workers. Democrats supported that amendment, but, along with Republicans, voted against a major spending bill which included that amendment, but also included an amendment allowing anti-LGBT discrimination based on religious beliefs.

 

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