Speaker Mike Johnson is reportedly plotting a change in the rules for the House of Representatives after Democrats — joined by just a few rogue Republicans — forced his hand on a vote to release the government’s files on pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein, a new report reveals.
The move, reported Friday by Axios, comes after the House passed a discharge petition filed by Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) to declassify files related to the late convicted sex offender. Johnson had opposed the legislation until Trump gave his blessing.
An individual member can file a discharge petition to force a vote on the floor if a majority of members sign it. Still, only seven discharge petitions — including Epstein — have become law since 1935. But Johnson told Axios that discharge petitions have become “too common” and that he wanted to make them harder to obtain.
“I’d like to see a higher threshold for a lot of these motions. You know, privileged motions, discharge petitions,” added House Majority Leader Steve Scalise to the outlet.
This also comes as Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine) received enough signatures for his discharge petition to restore union rights for federal workers.
And the discharge petition has become more popular over time, as Rep. Greg Steuebe, of Florida, forced a vote to provide tax relief for natural disaster victims and former Rep. Garret Graves used the discharge petition to pass his Social Security Fairness Act.
In addition, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, of Florida, earned enough signatures to allow for new parents to proxy vote. But Johnson blocked the effort due to the fact conservatives thought proxy voting was unconstutional.
“I’m sure [leadership will] try to prevent members from doing it, because it takes power away from them,” Luna told Axios.
Luna is hoping to use the discharge petition again to force legislation to ban members of Congress from trading individual stocks.
Johnson also faces a significant obstacle because rules can only be changed at the beginning of a Congress. Any change in the rules mid-Congress would require a vote to suspend the rules, which requires two-thirds of the Congress to support it.
“I don’t think the votes would exist for that amongst Republicans, which means the votes don’t exist for that in terms of Democrats,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said.
Massie, who led the charge, said he is “brainstorming” ideas for discharge petitions with Democrats.
“The Speaker, because he’s not giving an outlet for legislative pursuits, the things we got elected to do, he’s probably going to see more of these discharge petitions,” he told Axios.
