As lawmakers stare down another deadline to fund the government, Speaker Mike Johnson is facing a fresh round of criticism in the House over his go-to move to pass bills: bypass the Rules Committee, sideline Freedom Caucus members and rely on Democrats’ votes.
The frustration centers on the speaker’s heavy use of a House procedure known as “suspension of the rules,” which is designed to expedite the passage of legislation by barring amendments, limiting debate and avoiding a separate vote on a rule to set the terms of that debate. Placing a bill on what is unofficially known as the “suspension calendar” allows it to skip over the House Rules Committee, the powerful body that, under normal circumstances, gets to control the flow of legislation to the floor.
The catch: Any measure considered under suspension of the rules requires a two-thirds vote to pass, which means GOP leadership must count on Democrats to help.
