Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove) and the Problem Solvers Caucus came to an agreement with Nancy Pelosi and Democratic leadership on a rules package they say will encourage transparency and cooperation on Wednesday.
Suozzi, who represents the 3rd congressional district spanning the North Shore, and nine other Democrats, swore to withhold a favorable vote for Pelosi to become Speaker of the House unless she agreed to the changes.
“We have worked on these changes for over a year and are excited to move our nation and the House of Representatives forward under the leadership of our new Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who has my enthusiastic support,” Suozzi said in a statement.
Among the proposals is creating a “consensus calendar,” which calls for any legislation receiving 290 co-sponsors to be debated and get a timely vote. There would also be new protocol adding a preference to amendments that have 20 members of each party co-sponsoring them.
Within the package is a proposal to create ratios in legislative committees that reflect the balance of the U.S. House., as well as require three business days’ notice for committee markups.
“These proposals will provide a more accommodating and respectful process that will help us in our mission to return to the principle that ideas matter in the House of Representatives,” Pelosi and Rules Committee Ranking Member James McGovern said in a joint statement. “We’re committed to running the House differently while upholding our Democratic values.”
Several members of The Problem Solvers Caucus, a group which consists of 24 Democrats and 24 Republicans with a stated goal of bipartisan legislation, said they would not support any speaker candidate who didn’t back the changes back in September.
