Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.), the chair of the Home Freedom Caucus, has nullified a rogue ground procedural transfer he pulled off with Rep. Bob Good (R-Va.) that raised questions on whether or not he would face any penalties.
Whereas presiding over the Home chamber in a professional forma session on Election Day, when leaders had been scattered throughout the nation, Harris authorised a movement from Rep. Bob Good (R-Va.) to kill required consideration of a Social Safety invoice that drew criticism from conservatives.
Harris broke from the instructions of Home employees in approving Good’s unanimous consent request, a significant break of protocol for the periods which are usually solely minutes lengthy and haven’t any vital legislative exercise, however are held for constitutional causes.
However on Tuesday, Harris went to the Home ground to undo the transfer.
“I ask unanimous consent that the order of the House on November 5, 2024 regarding H.R.82 be vacated,” Harris mentioned. His request was granted.
The invoice in query is the Social Safety Equity Act, which might remove provisions that cut back advantages for some authorities retirees. Whereas it has broad bipartisan assist, it was on the heart of controversy within the Home GOP in September, when sufficient Republicans joined with Democrats to signal on to a discharge petition to drive a vote on the invoice.
Some GOP critics not solely disagreed with the underlying laws, seeing it as too costly, but in addition noticed the tactic of going round management and utilizing a discharge petition to drive a vote as a significant breach of social gathering loyalty. Profitable discharge petitions are very uncommon.
Despite the fact that the transfer from Good and Harris to kill the requirement to contemplate the invoice was profitable on the time, it was largely a moot concern. Home GOP management had already ready a option to deliver up the invoice underneath a special course of, suspension of the foundations, which requires two-thirds assist for approval however is quicker than the discharge petition necessities.
The procedural kerfuffle, although, did safe for conservatives an alternate invoice to handle the Social Safety concern. H.R. 5342, the Equal Therapy of Public Servants Act of 2023, was additionally added to the Home suspension calendar after the transfer from Harris and Good.
Good on Friday advised The Hill that he hoped Home GOP leaders wouldn’t take up the Social Safety Equity Act.
“We’ve given leadership, now, the opportunity to escape what they said they didn’t like and didn’t want, which was a discharge petition for the bill,” Good mentioned. “The bill didn’t come to the floor through the normal process. And so we’ve given leadership an exit round.”
“I hope they’ll take the exit round, that they won’t try to get back on the freeway to $200 billion that overcorrects the admitted inequities in the WEP,” Good mentioned, referring to the Windfall Elimination Provision, the components that may cut back advantages for staff who obtain pensions.
However now that Harris undid the Election Day professional forma transfer, leaders will likely be required to deliver up the invoice.
