House Speaker Mike Johnson is reportedly orchestrating a significant change to the procedural rules of the House of Representatives, a direct response to a recent political embarrassment over the release of documents related to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The Trigger: A Forced Vote on Epstein Files
The move comes after a discharge petition filed by Representatives Thomas Massie, a Republican from Kentucky, and Ro Khanna, a Democrat from California, successfully forced a vote to declassify government files on Epstein. Johnson had initially opposed the legislation but was compelled to relent after former President Donald Trump gave it his blessing.
This mechanism, which allows an individual member to force a floor vote if a majority of members sign the petition, proved effective despite its historical rarity. Only seven discharge petitions have become law since 1935, making the Epstein file vote a notable exception.
The Proposed Crackdown on Petitions
In an interview with Axios, Speaker Johnson argued that discharge petitions have become "too common" and expressed his desire to establish a "higher threshold" for their use. His sentiment was echoed by House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, who also told the outlet he would like to see more stringent requirements for such motions.
This push for reform is not happening in a vacuum. The initiative gains urgency as other members successfully leverage the tool. Democrat Jared Golden from Maine, for instance, has gathered enough signatures for a petition to restore union rights for federal workers.
Broader Implications and Political Hurdles
The discharge petition has seen a resurgence in popularity. Florida Representative Greg Steube used it to force a vote on tax relief for natural disaster victims, while former Representative Garret Graves employed it to pass his Social Security Fairness Act.
Another Florida Republican, Anna Paulina Luna, earned sufficient signatures for a petition allowing new parents to proxy vote, but Johnson blocked the effort, citing conservative beliefs that proxy voting is unconstitutional. Luna told Axios, "I'm sure [leadership will] try to prevent members from doing it, because it takes power away from them." She now aims to use the same tactic to ban members of Congress from trading individual stocks.
However, Johnson faces a substantial procedural obstacle. House rules can typically only be changed at the start of a new Congress. Altering them mid-term would require a vote to suspend the rules, needing a two-thirds majority. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries expressed doubt, stating, "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."
Meanwhile, Thomas Massie, who spearheaded the successful Epstein files petition, warned that Johnson's leadership style is inviting more such challenges. "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, confirming he is already "brainstorming" further ideas with Democrats.
