The House Rules package is set to include a provision that will eliminate the power of a single House member to instigate a vote on the motion to vacate the House Speaker's position in the forthcoming Congress.
The proposed package is designed to raise the bar, requiring the backing of nine House members to trigger a vote on a motion to vacate the House Speaker's position.
As reported by The Post Millennial, under the new rules, a member who proposes a motion to vacate the House Speaker's position must secure the support of eight other members from the majority party in the House of Representatives for the motion to be considered. The rules package will be the second vote of the 119th Congress, following the election of the speaker. A simple majority is required to pass the rules.
Previously, a single member from the majority party in the House could initiate a motion to vacate the House Speaker's position, leading to a vote. This rule enabled Matt Gatz to formerly propose a motion to remove House Speaker Kevin McCarthy from his position. Following a vote, McCarthy was replaced by Mike Johnson.
Johnson, who is up for a vote for the Speaker position on Friday, has faced criticism from some GOP House members who believe he should not retain the role. Johnson has been confronted with similar challenges during his tenure.
In the final weeks of the 118th Congress, Johnson's handling of the government spending package, which required three attempts to pass, drew criticism. Although Congress successfully avoided a government shutdown, Johnson's leadership abilities have been called into question by some GOP lawmakers. The rule change will not be implemented until a House Speaker is elected by the GOP, as per Politico.
However, President-elect Donald Trump has thrown his support behind Johnson ahead of the Friday vote. Trump praised Johnson on Truth Social earlier this week, stating, "Speaker Mike Johnson is a good, hard working, religious man. He will do the right thing, and we will continue to WIN. Mike has my Complete & Total Endorsement. MAGA!!!" This endorsement may sway the vote in Johnson's favor, demonstrating the influence of key conservative figures in these critical decisions.
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