House Rules Committee

The House Rules Committee is a powerful panel that decides how most major legislation will be debated on the House floor. It issues "special rules" that set how long debate lasts, which amendments are allowed and whether points of order are waived. The full House must adopt each rule by majority vote before the bill itself is considered. Because the majority party holds a large majority of the committee's seats, it works as an arm of the Speaker of the House, who effectively controls its membership.

Rules can be "closed," allowing no amendments, "structured," allowing selected ones, or "open," allowing any germane amendment. Open rules have become rare.

The committee is a frequent flashpoint. Members of the minority complain that closed rules deny them a voice, while members of the majority's own conservative wing have at times voted against rules to protest leadership decisions, stalling the floor. The discharge petition is one way to bypass it, and suspension of the rules is another route for noncontroversial bills. Calls for regular order often include restoring open amendment processes.