Don Wolfensberger at The Hill:
Back in the old days, if the House Rules Committee had four bills before it seeking a special rule for floor consideration, the committee would grant one special rule for each. In modern times, the committee, in order to save on time and recorded floor votes, tends to bundle all the measures into a single rule.
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In early January, Rep. Brittany Pettersen (D-Colo.) introduced the Proxy Voting for New Parents Resolution that would allow members who are fathers or mothers of infants, to cast their votes remotely through a designated member, in writing, for up to 12 weeks after birth. In late February, Rep. Laura Paulina Luna (R.-Fla.), introduced a resolution discharging the House Rules Committee from consideration of the Pettersen resolution. Under House rules, a discharge petition requires 218 signatures (a House majority) to allow the targeted measure to be called up on the floor as privileged. Last Monday, the Rules Committee had four measures before it: the No Rogue Rulings Act, prohibiting U.S. district courts from issuing nationwide injunctions; the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act (SAVE), a bill requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections; and two resolutions disapproving regulations related to financial institutions.
The Rules Committee recessed after the hearing. When it reconvened the next morning, one other procedural matter had been added to the special rule — a proviso that would automatically table the resolutions offered by Pettersen and Luna. On April 1, shortly after noon, after acquiring the requisite signatures, Luna announced to the House her intention to offer as privileged her motion to discharge the Petterson resolution. The speaker pro tempore informed her that under House rules the Speaker would announce a designated time for its consideration within two legislative days. Later that day, the Rules Committee called up its special rule that included a provision automatically adopting a motion to table both the Luna discharge resolution and Pettersen proxy measure.
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On April 1, the special rule for the four measures and proxy ban was defeated, 206-222, with all Democrats, along with nine defecting Republicans, opposing the rule. Johnson termed the result “very disappointing” since “a handful of Republicans joined with all Democrats to take down a rule … That’s rarely done.”
Johnson subsequently announced he was canceling legislative business for the rest of the week. Why? Most likely because the Luna discharge motion was ripe for consideration within the next two legislative days. Days without scheduled business don’t count as legislative days. Meanwhile, the Speaker, working with other Republicans, struggled to find a compromise acceptable to Luna. On Sunday a compromise was struck by the Speaker with Luna in which she would support the alternative of “live pair voting.” Under that process, any member unable to be present can finding someone on the other side of a vote who is willing to submit an amber “present” card and announcing on the floor they are changing this vote from “aye” (or “no”) to “present,” in a pair with Rep. [name] of [state].” That compromise, sponsored by Luna, was included in a new special rule on Tuesday, along with the other four measures carried over from the previous week. The rule narrowly squeaked by on a vote of 213-211, with three Republicans and six Democrats not voting. The special rule also self-executed the tabling of Luna’s original discharge rule.
House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar (Calif.) vowed that House Democrats would not provide any live pair to bail out absent Republicans, which provoked Petterson’s opposition to the compromise measure. During Tuesday’s debate on the rule, she held her newborn son in her arms as she spoke.