Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA) blasted his Republican colleagues during a House Rules Committee meeting on Thursday.
The committee met to discuss four pieces of legislation at a pivotal time for House Republicans. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) has threatened to file a motion to oust Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA).
“This is the most ineffective, incompetent majority, I think, in American history. Full stop. It has been nearly an entire year, an entire year almost, since anything that we have done in the Rules Committee has gone to the president’s desk,” McGovern, the ranking member of the Rules Committee, said.
“And the last time it did happen, it was with Democratic votes,” he added.
Greene’s threat, along with other infighting among House Republicans, has put the 118th Congress in a historically unproductive session.
“Republicans have tried and failed to pass their own rules seven times this Congress. Seven times. This House has been stuck at a standstill because of their infighting,” McGovern said. “And Republicans have done it seven times. One or two, three times, maybe that’s just incompetence.”
“But seven? Seven is a disaster. Seven is paralysis. It means weeks and weeks of sitting around doing nothing because Republicans can’t get their house in order and do their job,” he added.
McGovern is referring to a “rule,” or a resolution that the House must pass before debating a bill. Rules set the parameters of the debate, such as how long it is allowed to go on and if amendments are allowed.
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During Thursday evening’s session, the House Rules Committee advanced a new proposal to reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, adding several provisions to persuade a substantial number of hard-line conservatives to back the legislation. The bill is now scheduled to reach the floor for debate early Friday morning, with a final vote expected later in the day.
McGovern has represented Massachusetts in Congress since 1997.
