A Freewheeling House

Plus: An interview with a newly appointed member of the China competition committee.

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Members talk on the floor of the House Chamber on the opening day of the 118th Congress. (Photo by Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

How many amendments can House lawmakers propose for a three-page bill? At least 143.

As debt ceiling talks look to drag out for months, the House is proceeding with messaging bills and forming committees. For the first time in about seven years, the House is debating legislation this week under rules that allow all members to introduce amendments to a bill without being pre-screened and approved for floor consideration by leadership—so long as they submitted the amendments to the Congressional Record at least a day before debate kicked off. 

We’ve written to you repeatedly in the past month about how the House will have a more open legislative process—at least for now—with the start of this Congress. Now, with this “modified open rule,” we’re seeing it play out.

The legislation under consideration would limit presidential power to release oil from the nation’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve, moves President Joe Biden has relied on since Russia invaded Ukraine last year. The bill also aims to open more federal land to be leased for oil and gas drilling.

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Comments (16)
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  1. DTruitt

    How boring … Congressmen debating stuff and passing or not passing amendments to bills, with an open amendment process, just like they did for 229 out of 236 years in the past, with partisanship taking a back seat to serious policy decisions on 99% of the bills that are considered.

    Media people: “We can’t have that!!! How disgusting, there’s no ratings points or mouse clicks from that kind of crap!!!

    It’s much more rewarding (for us ‘journalists’) to run stories on the tiny handful of wackos and film flam artists who manage somehow to get elected to Congress and beclown themselves … and to make repeated all knowing pronouncements that ‘Congress is broke!’ (when in reality it is us, the media, who are really broke).”

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  2. Horseracer

    One more thought. People get all excited about the CCP buying American farm land, but ignore when they buy our ports, our factories (GE) and our ag industries (Smithfield)....come on Republicans....the only thing consistent is our inconsistency.

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    1. DTruitt

      There are plenty of leaders in Congress and industry and in think tanks addressing other topics related to China’s growing power. National defense, data security, industrial base, consumer products, construction materials, etc etc

      Where have you been the last 20 years?

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      1. Horseracer

        Really? Can you list a few examples of a serious effort resulting in actual passed legislation to install a USA strategic supply system? Let's start with where our medicines are made? All the recent talk is a reaction to the bad trade decisions made by many of the very same politicians 30 years ago.
        I am sure there are may industry and think tank white papers floating around....but how about real actions?

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  3. Horseracer

    Interesting. My Kentucky republican controlled Congress and Senate just gave Heier $40 million to expand their factory in Louisville to create 1000 jobs at $16.00 an hour. Heier.. Bought the old General Electric appliance manufacturing facility. By definition the Heier Chinese company is owned by the Chinese government, which is communist. So my little poor state of Kentucky, just gave the communist government $40 million to provide $16 an hour jobs to Americans who will also be eligible in many cases for food stamps and Medicaid. Brilliant! Just proves we'll do anything to provide provide jobs do the people that went to 12 years of free education and still write and do math at the 8th grade level.
    So much for right wing anti-communism.

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    1. Hikingguy

      Far better to give the CCP subsidies than to legislate to ensure American corporations pay people enough to live on. It's the Murkan Way!

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    Earl King

    Wasn’t there something about the CCP buying farmland that was next to or near military bases? Obviously that is about spying.

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  5. Zjim0608

    Would you please get Congress to put up an amendment which rids us of MTG, Gaetz and Boebert. Thank you.

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    J. Eric

    Good interview with Newhouse. He represents his Washington district well.

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      Slp

      And, he voted for impeachment.

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  7. Carolyndavid7757

    "the committee could fuel anti-Asian discrimination"

    There are people attacking Asian Americans on the streets of our larger cities, yes. They have absolutely NO position on Chinese purchases of U.S. farmland though.
    They are racist thugs.

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    Ben Connelly

    Interesting interview. I’m glad someone is looking into Chinese purchases of US farmland. I could care less if Japanese companies bought up US land, but we could conceivably go to war with China in the next decade.

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  9. Phillyex1

    I think it’s hilarious that the first thing Mace and Gaetz do is offer NIMBY amendments. Not really serious about exploiting US resources unless it’s in some other state.

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    Travis M

    Is the full interview with Rep Newhouse going to be released as a podcast or a separate article at some point in the future?

    Also, while I appreciate the effort they're taking to differentiate between the CCP and the Chinese people, I think they're being a bit optimistic about it not having some blowback on Asians in the US by some of the more reactionary people.

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    1. Carolyndavid7757

      Trav, "some of the more reactionary people."
      Could you be more specific?

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      JohnM.

      When you look at some of the signatories of the opposition against this committee, it all becomes a bit clearer:
      https://pressley.house.gov/2023/01/11/pressley-house-progressives-on-opposition-to-republican-select-committee-on-china/

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