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Caucus and Conference Rules

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Caucus and Conference Rules

118th Congress

Official documents

Proposed Amendments to Democratic Caucus Rules

  • 12 Proposed Amendments to the House Democratic Caucus Rules (we only have text of first 11). The following is our interpretation

    • Amendment 1. Using ranked choice voting for contested caucus elections. (Beyer) -- Dem Committee on Caucus Procedures made unfavorable recommendation

    • Amendment 2. Allows the caucus to vote by 2/3s of its members to waive the requirement that the Caucus vote by secret ballot to approve or disapprove the [Steering and Policy Committee chosen] nominee to chair a standing committee (Eshoo) -- Dem Committee on Caucus Procedures made unfavorable recommendation

      • Amendment Disposition:

    • Amendment 3. Requires a secret standing committee chair retention election whereby a chair who wishes to serve more than 6 years needs an affirmative vote from a majority of the caucus. (Foster) -- Dem Committee on Caucus Procedures made unfavorable recommendation

    • Amendment 4. Democratic Leader nominates the chair of the DCCC by Feb 15; caucus votes on that nomination (and any others made by 5 caucus members) by March 1. (Current rule doesn’t have the leader make a recommendation.) (DelBene, Schneider, Pocan) -- Dem Committee on Caucus Procedures made favorable recommendation

    • Amendment 5. Creates the position of Chair of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee. (Cicilline) -- Dem Committee on Caucus Procedures made favorable recommendation

    • Amendment 6. Creates another party position akin to the regional reps, the Battleground Leadership Representative, elected by a majority vote of “Battleground Members.” (Lee) -- Dem Committee on Caucus Procedures made favorable recommendation

    • Amendment 7. Allows members who temporarily serve on a committee to gain seniority over other members who also have temporarily served on the committee. (Kelly) -- Dem Committee on Caucus Procedures made tabled amendment

      • Amendment Disposition:

    • Amendment 8. I don’t understand this amendment. I think it allows a member whose bid, made in order of seniority, to serve as a subcommittee chair was rejected by the committee to stand for another election before the committee for that position, this time against everyone who has declared themselves interested in the subcommittee chair spot. (Sherman) -- Dem Committee on Caucus Procedures made unfavorable recommendation

      • Amendment Disposition:

    • Amendment 9. Significantly increases rank-and-file influence on the currently-leadership dominated Steering and Policy Committee by increasing the numbers of regional representatives and reducing the number of members who get to serve on the committee by virtue of their office. Specifically, it would allow for two representatives from each region instead of one, reduce the number of members appointed by the Speaker to 5 from 15, and eliminate the ex officio appointments of the senior chief deputy whip, all chief deputy whips, a member of the freshman class, and committee chairs. (Case) -- Dem Committee on Caucus Procedures made unfavorable recommendation

    • Amendment 10. Improves the ability of rank-and-file to get legislation considered in committees and on the floor. Requires committee chairs to markup any bill co-sponsored by both a majority of the Democratic Caucus and a majority of Democratic members of the committee of jurisdiction. Also requires Democratic Leadership to bring to the floor any bill cosponsored by two-thirds of the Democratic Caucus. (Larson) -- Dem Committee on Caucus Procedures made favorable recommendation

    • Amendment 11. Directs the Caucus to provide technical support for Members to participate in hybrid/remote caucus proceedings and also to ensure that the meetings are secure. (Jackson Lee) -- Dem Committee on Caucus Procedures made unfavorable recommendation

      • Amendment Disposition:

    • Amendment 12. DPCC Structure Amendment (Jackson Lee) -- Dem Committee on Caucus Procedures made unfavorable recommendation

      • Amendment Disposition:

Proposed Amendments to House Republican Conference Rules

  • 24 Proposed Amendments to House Republican Conference Rules

    • Ensuring open access to the House and Capitol Grounds — Amendment 1 (Clyde)

    • No Steering Committee Member, except Elected Leadership, shall serve on the NRCC Executive Committee — Amendment 2 (Boebert)

    • Prohibits a bill from being considered under suspension of the rules if the cost estimate exceeds $250 million — Amendment 3 (Palmer)

    • Ensure all Members of the Republican Conference are given an ability to participate in Conference meetings — Amendment 4 (Norman)

      • Amendment Disposition:

    • Allow certain staff in Conference meetings — Amendment 5 (Perry)

      • Amendment Disposition:

    • Requiring authorizing committees to review unauthorized agencies and programs and forbidding the waiving of points of order against unauthorized appropriations after one year — Amendment 6 (McClintock Amdt. 1)

      • Amendment Disposition:

    • Prohibiting earmarks and consideration of legislation containing earmarks — Amendment 7 (McClintock Amdt. 2)

    • Allows the Members of each Committee to elect their own Chair — Amendment 8 (Perry)

      • Amendment Disposition:

    • Create a privileged resolution to direct the scheduling of legislation for floor consideration from within the Conference — Amendment 9 (Bishop)

      • Amendment Disposition:

    • Establishes Guidelines on Appropriations in Conference rules — Amendment 10

      • Amendment Disposition:

    • Significantly increase the number of Regional Representatives on Steering Committee by capping the size of regions to 7 Members (and number of regions from 13 to 19) — Amendment 11 (Norman)

      • Amendment Disposition: I believe this failed

    • Ensures that a Democrat minority does not get to choose the Speaker (i.e., motion to vacate the chair can be made only by the R conference)— Amendment 12 (Turner)

    • The Appropriations Subcommittee Chairs shall be approve by the Republican Conference — Amendment 13 (Perry)

      • Amendment Disposition:

    • Requires any legislation scheduled under suspension of House Rules be noticed to the Conference at least 10 days prior to floor consideration — Amendment 14 (Roy). Provision was revised to 5 days.

    • Establishes Guidelines on when legislation can be voted on by the full House and prioritizes legislation that eliminates or reduces spending and existing federal programs — Amendment 15 (Norman)

      • Amendment Disposition:

    • The amendment would amend Rule 29 to require that any waiver of Rule 29, Guidelines on Suspension of House Rules, be shared with the Conference and would prohibits a waiver unless the legislation is fully offset and accompanied by a cost estimate — Amendment 16 (Biggs)

      • Amendment Disposition:

    • Reform the Steering Committee to increase the number Regional Representatives, cut others from the body, and relieve it of the responsibility to recommend committee chairs — Amendment 17 (Perry)

      • Amendment Disposition:

    • If the Speaker’s nominee for Rules Committee Chair is rejected by the Conference, the Republican Conference shall nominate and elect the Chair — Amendment 18 (Perry)

      • Amendment Disposition:

    • The Republican Conference shall nominate and elect the Republican Members of the Committee on Rules — Amendment 19 (Perry)

      • Amendment Disposition:

    • Ensure that business brought by Members of the Conference is considered in a timely manner without repeated Motions to Table — Amendment 1 (Bishop)

    • Requires that any legislation scheduled for floor consideration be supported by a majority of the Republican Conference — Amendment 21 (Perry)

    • Requires Conference rules to be considered and agreed upon by the whole Conference, prior to Leadership elections — Amendment 22 (Cloud)

      • Amendment Disposition:

    • States that it is the policy of the House Republican Conference that if a member of the conference submits an amendment to the Rules Committee that is made in order under the rule, that member shall support final passage of the underlying measure — Amendment 23 (Reschenthaler)

      • Amendment Disposition:

    • Establishes “Guidelines on Special Rules” to prioritize the reporting of all legislation under open or structured rules and require all amendments cosponsored by 10% of the Conference to be made in order by the Republican Members of the Rules Committee — Amendment 24 (Roy). Substantially revised (per Punchbowl) to "require the Rules Committee to consider amendments that have the support of 20% of the conference."

Modernization Recommendations

117th Congress

116th Congress

115th Congress

114th Congress

113th Congress

112th Congress

110th Congress

105th Congress

104th Congress

100th Congress

94th Congress

Caucus and Conference Links

Letters & Blogs on Availability of Conference and Caucus Rules

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