U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has brought back archaic procedures in order to silence conservatives.
On Tuesday, the full House passed the Rules Package for the 111th Congress, 242-181. The changes limit the GOP's ability to use procedural rules like the Motion to Recommit, which is the last opportunity for the minority party to amend a bill before it passes.
“The new rules consolidate power in the hands of a few and attempt to silence Republican input on key policy debates, in addition to making a mockery of the Democratic leaders' promises of presiding over an open Congress," Rep. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., said in a statement.
In the last Congress, Republicans were able to block some of the Democrats’ tax increases using a Motion to Recommit.
California Rep. David Dreier, ranking Republican on the House Rules Committee, called Pelosi's changes an "act of pure cynicism," according to The Washington Times. He said the changes will create "the most closed Congress in history."
Tom McClusky, vice president for government affairs at FRC Action, agreed.
"It severely limits the democratic process in the House," he said, "and doesn’t allow the minority to speak out on a number of issues where they represent a large amount of the American public.”
The House also repealed a rule limiting committee chairmen to three terms as head of a committee.
