Democrats are no longer in the minority. In a surprising and historic development Friday, Democrats took advantage of Republican capitulation to seize control of the House agenda.
On Saturday, an astonishing 165 Democrats voted in favor of House Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-Louisiana) rule to allow an additional $100 billion foreign aid package on the floor. The House of Representatives is scheduled to hold four votes on final passage of each package, including the Ukraine funding bill that has cost tens of billions of American taxpayers.
Minority party members rarely vote in favor of procedural rules that allow the majority party’s agenda to pass in the House. It’s quite unprecedented to do this in such numbers.
History was first made shortly before midnight on Thursday, when, for the first time in recorded history, the House Rules Committee overcame the opposition of the majority and the minority party to send proposed rules to the House. It depended on the vote. house floor.
The powerful House Rules Committee has traditionally been known as the “Speaker’s Committee,” due to the control the Speaker has over the committee and its reputation as a rubber stamp on the Speaker’s agenda. Set the agenda. As a rule.
Johnson ignored history and abandoned his party, even if it had a majority. With more Democrats voting to advance the House’s agenda than Republicans, the minority party effectively controls the bills that come to the House.
In the end, 151 people supported the rule, and only 39 Republicans opposed it. The final score was 316-94.
Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) is no longer the minority messenger. He took over.
Bradley Jay is Breitbart News’ Capitol Hill correspondent. Follow him on X/Twitter. @BradleyAJay.
