A bipartisan group of House lawmakers pulled off a rare feat: gaining enough support through a procedural maneuver known as a discharge petition to bypass leadership and force a bill to the floor for only the third time in over 20 years old.
The success of this tactic underscores how tenuous Republicans’ hold on the House is given their tiny majority, and how divisions within the GOP have fueled the emergence of a bipartisan coalition determined to get things done despite the malfunction.
In this case, Democrats and Republicans are trying to bypass President Mike Johnson to force a vote on legislation that would provide tax relief to disaster victims across the country. The effort succeeded thanks to a combination of support from conservative Republicans in states hit hard by disasters and Democrats who once again flexed their muscles in a closely divided House.
It’s just the latest example of how, during the chaotic session of Congress, the House has deviated from traditional procedural norms.
The discharge petition was created as an ultimate check on the majority party’s power. It provides a way to bring legislation supported by a majority of House members to a vote — even if leaders oppose it. Such petitions are historically a tool of the minority party, and they rarely succeed because members of the majority are reluctant to risk retaliation by attacking their own leaders and usurping control of the floor from the president.
The last one to succeed was in 2015 on legislation to renew the Export-Import Bank. The previous time was in 2002, regarding important campaign finance legislation.
But House Republicans have shown a clear willingness in recent months to challenge their leaders, and Democrats have been only too happy to take advantage of the Republican Party’s turmoil to put their stamp on the legislative agenda.
In that case, Rep. Greg Steube, Republican of Florida, filed a discharge petition to get a vote on a popular part of a stalled tax reform bill — legislation that would make it easier to deduct tax losses. income tax disasters – after failing to do so. get a commitment from top Republicans to put it on the table.
“My district was hit by Hurricane Ian in October 2022, and that’s enough,” Mr. Steube said in an interview. “My own leaders kept blocking me. »
Democrats kept an eye on his petition and began pressuring their own members to sign it when they found there were enough Republicans to give him a chance. They pushed it to the necessary 218 signatures Wednesday afternoon, punctuating the effort by ensuring that Rep. Pat Ryan, a Democrat facing a tough re-election fight in a flood-stricken New York district, provided the last crucial signing. In the end, 29 Republicans joined 189 Democrats.
“This legislation saves Americans money and helps communities recover from disasters,” said Rep. Katherine M. Clark of Massachusetts, the No. 2 Democrat, who encouraged her colleagues to sign the petition. “It surprises me that Republican Party leaders are ignoring these opportunities and spending their time showing up to the Trump trial in matching outfits or focusing on appeasing the most extreme elements in their conference. »
The president’s office had no immediate comment, but the disaster legislation is expected to potentially be submitted to the public within the next week or two. Under House rules, once the signature threshold is met, seven legislative days must pass before Mr. Steube can signal his intention to require a vote. The speaker is then expected to set a deadline for review of the discharge within two days, in a complex and lengthy process intended to discourage such efforts.
The discharge petitions have recently been seen as a way to force legislation aimed at averting a federal government default last year and overcoming leadership resistance to a vote on military assistance to Ukraine. But Republicans did not break ranks and these bills still ultimately passed, supported primarily by Democrats.
With the House in disarray for much of the past two years, usual procedural traditions have been upended with the ouster of a speaker and an unsuccessful attempt to oust Mr. Johnson.
To express their dissatisfaction with their leaders, far-right conservatives went against the party’s usual rules for introducing bills, while Democrats turned around and supported the measures in votes crucial – which is generally anathema to the minority. Democrats also recently provided the votes to table the motion to impeach Mr. Johnson, saving his presidency. They said their support for the discharge petition showed another path toward building bipartisan coalitions.
“Maybe this is another message that Democrats have come to work and you might want to work with us,” said Rep. Mike Thompson, Democrat of California and a leading supporter of the tax provisions after the forest fires in his district.
Supporters of the bill said it would provide relief to taxpayers in 45 states, including those devastated by hurricanes, floods, wildfires and the East Palestine train derailment. Ohio. But passing the bill through the House would not guarantee it becomes law. The broader tax bill has stalled in the Senate, and it is unclear whether the separate disaster bill will be introduced.
Mr. Steube acknowledged that he could not control the Senate, but insisted that his bill go to the House.
“Floridians have been waiting since 2022 for tax relief from Hurricane Ian, and many other Americans have waited just as long for relief from other disasters,” he said. “I look forward to rapid passage of my bill in the House and call for prompt consideration in the Senate.”
News Source : www.nytimes.com
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