In a significant reshuffling of the House Rules Committee, Rep. Thomas Massie, a vocal critic of House Speaker Mike Johnson, has been removed from the influential panel.
The committee plays a pivotal role in the operation of the House of Representatives, setting the parameters for the consideration of each piece of legislation, including restrictions on debate and amendments.
According to The New York Post, Massie, the sole Republican who opposed Johnson's speakership bid on January 3rd, had previously indicated his willingness to step down from the committee in the 119th Congress. He had hinted that Johnson was contemplating accepting his offer. During the previous Congress, Massie, along with Freedom Caucus Reps. Ralph Norman and Chip Roy, were notorious for causing headaches for the leadership. The trio had been appointed to the Rules Committee as part of a deal brokered by then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy in 2023 during his drawn-out struggle for the gavel.
The committee's role is crucial in the legislative process. To pass a bill without routing it through the Rules Committee, the leadership often resorts to a process known as suspension of the rules, which necessitates a two-thirds majority. Massie, Roy, and Norman had regularly thwarted attempts to pass rules for legislation they deemed insufficiently conservative, compelling the leadership to invoke the suspension of the rules and seek Democratic support to pass key legislation.
In a move that signals a shift towards a more compliant committee, Massie has been replaced by Rep. Morgan Griffith, a Freedom Caucus member who is perceived as less rebellious than her conservative peers. Johnson also announced that Rep. Virginia Foxx will chair the Rules Committee. Foxx, an experienced legislator, served as the chair of the Education and Workforce Committee during the last Congress and replaces retired Rep. Michael Burgess as the leader of the rules panel.
Praising Foxx, Johnson said, "For two decades, Dr. Foxx has been a stalwart in the House and a leader in multiple policy areas. Her drive and personality have established her as among the most universally respected members of our Republican Conference." He further added, "Dr. Foxx is an example of how Members should serve, and our Conference will benefit greatly with her at the helm of the influential Rules Committee."
The committee also includes Roy, Norman, and Griffith, along with Reps. Michelle Fischbach, Erin Houchin, Austin Scott, and Brian Jack. The New York Post reached out to a representative for Massie for comment, but there was no immediate response.
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