The New Democratic House’s rules are gender neutral, limiting the GOP’s ability to enforce ‘gotcha’ votes

The rules of the New House revealed by Nancy Pelosi, chairwoman of the House, are completely gender neutral; they deprive IDPs of opportunities to enforce awkward votes and retain legislators’ ability to carry firearms at the Capitol.

The House’s 45-page rule package, which will be voted on Monday after the start of the new Congress, will also continue with the power of attorney determination during the coronavirus pandemic, banning lawmakers convicted of certain crimes from visiting the house floor again and the payment rules for legislation related to the virus and climate change that previously required legislators to identify new sources of income or spending cuts to fund their priorities.

Pelosi announced the ‘vision rule package’ on Friday with the chairman of the rules committee, Jim McGovern, D-Mass., And said it reflects the values ​​of her diverse democratic majority.

“Democrats have drawn up a package of unprecedented, daring reforms that will make the House more accountable, transparent and effective in meeting the needs of the American people,” Pelosi said.

“These forward-looking proposals reflect our priorities as a caucus and as a country – including the destruction of the coronavirus, tackling economic inequality, combating the climate crisis, promoting inclusion and promoting integrity in government.”

In an effort to be inclusive for those who do not identify themselves as a specific gender, the rule pack contains all mention of gender-specific pronouns and terms such as ‘man’, ‘woman’, ‘mother’ and ‘son’.

The office of the bell-ringing ombudsman, for example, is renamed in the rules to the “office of the bell-ringing ombudsman.”

There is nothing in the rules that prohibits members from using gender-specific terms when talking on the floor or doing business.

Home GOP leader Kevin McCarthy, R-California, mocked the inclusion effort as ‘stupid’.

Progressive leaders in the House, however, welcomed the new rules. Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., Said the changes would enable Democrats to “pursue a bold agenda”.

Progressives are fighting for the exceptions to the budget rules to open the door to their costly legislation, such as Medicare-for-All and the Green New Deal. Omar also praised the new rule that limits the ability of the minority party, in this case the IDP, to bring a ‘Motion to Recommit’ ‘to the House floor with language changes in legislation that will soon be adopted by the majority.

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These motions frustrated Democrats because Republicans presented ‘gotcha’ motions on bills they oppose, in an effort to force Democrats to vote on a number of items they want to avoid, one Democratic source said.

Rep. Debbie Lesko, R-Ariz., For example, presented a motion to re-commit on the House floor in December to scientific legislation that was about to legalize marijuana. Lesko wanted to add language that employers in the private sector retain the right to test employees for marijuana use. She was able to elect 11 Democrats for her motion, but it still failed. The overall legislation passed the House.

While Motions to Recommit (MTRs) usually fail and mostly serve message purposes to show divisions within the Democratic Party, some were successful.

In one case in 2019, the House was on track to pass a dual gun background bill. Rep. Doug Collins, R-Ga., Filed a motion before the last passage to sign up again to require reporting to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) when an immigrant without documents tries to buy a gun and thus to compile possible deportation.

Enough Democrats have agreed to the IDP provision to include it in the final bill. Collins still voted “no” to the legislation that was never signed.

The new rules would prevent Republicans from enforcing a vote on specific language changes. They would only allow the Republicans to present a motion to resubmit a bill to the committee without giving language instructions.

McCarthy expressed the changes as a way to silence the minority.

“The Democrats have just destroyed more than 100 years of representation in Congress,” McCarthy said in a statement. “Nancy Pelosi wants to silence your voice and consolidate the little power she has left. Her time is limited.”

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The new House Rule also authorizes the House Administration Committee’s funding to investigate election disputes in Iowa’s 2nd District, where Democrat Rita Hart is contesting a six-vote victory by Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks.

In a victory for Laurent Boebert, R-Colo, the new rules do not include a Democratic proposal to ban lawmakers from carrying weapons at the Capitol, just as visitors are prohibited from bringing in firearms.

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Members of Congress may have firearms on Capitol grounds, although there are certain places they cannot carry, such as the living room, the speaker’s lobby, the locker room, and the Rayburn room. Boebert, an enthusiast for the second amendment, sought an extension of where she was transporting power, which caused concern among some Democrats.

A group of Democrats has tried to include language in the rule package to ban firearms by lawmakers altogether, but the proposal does not make the final draft.

The new Congress will be sworn in on Sunday. The House will vote on whether Pelosi will remain speaker. Her majority is much slimmer, in part because of a record number of GOP women elected in November.