Congressman Max Miller (OH-07) today introduced a resolution to change the House rules so that a motion to vacate must be supported by more than one-half of the Majority or Minority party in order to receive privileged consideration for a floor vote. Under the current rule, any one member of the House can force a privileged floor vote on a motion to vacate.
“The House of Representatives has important work to do for the American people,” said Congressman Miller. “After being paralyzed for three weeks, one thing is crystal clear: We cannot be beholden to the whims and personal grudges of a handful of people. Americans want us to work hard to advance commonsense, conservative policies, not play petty politics. Changing this rule is a simple step toward accomplishing that goal and keeping the House on track.”
On Tuesday, October 3, 2023, eight Republicans and every Democrat member of the House of Representatives voted in favor of a resolution declaring the office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives to be vacant. Following the removal of Speaker Kevin McCarthy, the House took more than three weeks to elect a new Speaker, stopping all work on the House floor, including passing appropriations bills.
The text of the resolution is available here.
