General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Eric Cantor Given Total Control Of House In LATE NIGHT RULE CHANGE By GOP [View all]onenote
(42,383 posts)The way the House operates is that before a bill is considered, it typically goes to the Rules Committee, which proposes "Rule" that governs the bill's consideration. That rule, after being approved by Committee, is then presented to the entire House in the form of a resolution that must be approved by a majority of the House. Nothing in the standing rules prevents the House, in the "Rule" adopted for consideration of a particular resolution from approving an exception to or suspension of a particular standing rule of the House.
As for "gutting" the Rules Committee, the House has established the division of membership in its Committees and, in the case of the Rules Committee, it has been "2 to 1" plus one in favor of the Majority party for more than forty years (leading to a current 9-4 majority for the repubs). The only way to change it would be for the House to vote to change it, and that isn't going to happen.