Adopting the Rules of the House of Representatives for the 118th Congress
Floor Speech
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mrs. FISCHBACH. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman of the Rules Committee and my friend from Oklahoma for yielding me the time and for the experiences we have had on Rules in the last year.
Mr. Speaker, for far too long Democrats have run roughshod over the norms and practices of the people's House, weaponizing our rules to insulate themselves and protect their allies in the Biden administration from proper oversight. That ends today.
I thank the chairman, Speaker McCarthy, and our leadership for spending countless hours putting together this package that better reflects the historical practices of this institution while receiving feedback to ensure the work we do is by the people and for the people. There are numerous items that I truly believe are vast improvements from the previous 2 years, but I will focus on three.
First and foremost, this package finally ends the ludicrous pandemic procedures that have done lasting, if not permanent, damage to this institution. Legislating requires us to see each other eye-to-eye in order to understand where the other is coming from. Remote proceedings and a locked-down Capitol have reduced this institution to a computer screen, and the work product has deteriorated as a result. It is long past time for us to get back to work.
Second, the rules package finally creates a more transparent process by which we legislate. As then-Chairman McGovern once said, ``a lousy process leads to bad legislating.'' Today, through a mandatory 72-hour rule, we allow more thoughtful and deliberate consideration that will improve what we pass out of this House.
Finally, this rules package helps restore some fiscal sanity. Over the past 2 years, the American people have been hindered by out-of- control spending by the government and now our constituents are saddled with trillions in debt and the highest inflation levels in a generation.
House Republicans today will once again ensure the Federal budget operates like any other, requiring offsets for any additional spending increase, eliminating budget gimmicks, and requiring inflationary analyses of the bills we consider.
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to stand by my friend and colleague from Oklahoma in support of this package, and I urge Members to do the same.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Source