House GOP reportedly considering term limits for all committee leaders
House Republicans are reportedly considering imposing term limits for all committee chairs and ranking members should the party take back the lower chamber in November, Punchbowl News reports.
Republican members are already limited (by their own doing) to three consecutive terms at the helm of any committee. But Democrats don't abide by those limitations, and any such change in the chamber rules package would "drastically alter the makeup of the House," Punchbowl News writes.
For example, should a GOP majority actually enact this plan, Democratic Reps. Maxine Waters (Calif.), Bennie Thompson (Miss.), Frank Pallone (N.J.), Adam Smith (Wash.), and Nydia Velázquez (N.Y.) would all be affected, among others for whom the change would alter future prospects. The lawmakers are the top Democrats on the Financial Services, Homeland Security, Energy and Commerce, Armed Services, and Small Business Committees, respectively.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The Republican term limits plan would also deal a "huge blow" to the chamber's seniority system, "a bedrock of internal House politics," Punchbowl News writes. That system has been seen and utilized by Democrats as an "especially powerful tool for minority lawmakers, giving them access to committee gavels or ranking members posts."
But traditional dynamics in the House have already begun to shift — consider how Democrats kicked Rep. Majorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) off her committees over past comments, or censured and removed Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) from his assignments after he promoted an animated video depicting violence against Democrats, including President Biden.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brigid Kennedy worked at The Week from 2021 to 2023 as a staff writer, junior editor and then story editor, with an interest in U.S. politics, the economy and the music industry.
-
The ‘menopause gold rush’Under the Radar Women vulnerable to misinformation and marketing of ‘unregulated’ products
-
Voting Rights Act: SCOTUS’s pivotal decisionFeature A Supreme Court ruling against the Voting Rights Act could allow Republicans to redraw districts and solidify control of the House
-
No Kings rally: What did it achieve?Feature The latest ‘No Kings’ march has become the largest protest in U.S. history
-
Trump vows new tariffs on Canada over Reagan adspeed read The ad that offended the president has Ronald Reagan explaining why import taxes hurt the economy
-
NY attorney general asks public for ICE raid footageSpeed Read Rep. Dan Goldman claims ICE wrongly detained four US citizens in the Canal Street raid and held them for a whole day without charges
-
Trump’s huge ballroom to replace razed East WingSpeed Read The White House’s east wing is being torn down amid ballroom construction
-
Trump expands boat strikes to Pacific, killing 5 moreSpeed Read The US military destroyed two more alleged drug smuggling boats in international waters
-
Trump demands millions from his administrationSpeed Read The president has requested $230 million in compensation from the Justice Department for previous federal investigations
-
Trump nominee in limbo after racist texts leakSpeed Read Paul Ingrassia lost Republican support following the exposure of past racist text messages
-
Trump begins East Wing demolition for ballroomspeed read The president’s new construction will cost $250 million
-
Appeals court clears Trump’s Portland troop deploymentSpeed Read A divided federal appeals court ruled that President Trump can send the National Guard to Portland
