House Republicans throw wrench in Paul Ryan's potential presidential plans
New House Republican Conference rules prevent members seeking higher office to hold committee and subcommittee chairs. Rep. Tom Cole (R) of Oklahoma , the 鈥渋dea is not to have major committees, appropriations or subcommittees chaired by people who are running for the Senate. If you鈥檙e shuttling back and forth, that鈥檚 just a huge problem for us.鈥�
My colleague Mark Harkins argued this rule was likely the product of Rep. Jack Kingston鈥檚 (R) run for Georgia鈥檚 Senate seat. Though he lost the primary, his bid for the Senate took the Labor-Health and Human Services subcommittee chair away from his legislative duties in the 113th. Labor-HHS was the only appropriations subcommittee not to report its appropriations bill in 2014, and only one of two subcommittees not to report its bill in 2013.
Several commentators noticed the rule could have consequences for other members, specifically Rep. Paul Ryan (R) of Wisconsin. In addition to his potential ambition for higher office he also has his sights on the . If he does decide to run for higher office in 2016, he would need a waiver exempting his chairmanship from the new restriction.
However, it is unclear leadership would grant him one. Ways and Means figures to be at the center of Republicans鈥� legislative strategy in the 114th Congress. Without a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate, many bills聽will have to go through the reconciliation process, which allows bills to pass the Senate with a simple majority.聽This places Representative Ryan鈥檚 political and policy ambitions at a crossroads.
Reconciliation has limited applicability. It can only be used on measures that affect direct spending, revenue, or the debt ceiling. In other words, most of the bills the reconciliation process would instigate聽fall in Ways and Means鈥� jurisdiction in the House. Since 1989, 11 of the 12 reconciliation instructions directed Ways and Means to draft and report bills. In short, the primary process Republicans will use to pass policies changing everything from Obamacare to tax reform would go through Paul Ryan鈥檚 presumptive committee.
If Republicans thought Representative Kingston鈥檚 absence was a nuisance to the appropriations process, Ryan鈥檚 absence would surely be intolerable, particularly in the run up to the 2016 elections. Failing to chair the preeminent committee Republicans鈥� political and policy strategy centers upon would fundamentally undermine their majority. Today, House leaders may lay this rule at Kingston鈥檚 feet. But it is not likely an accident the rule also complicates Ryan鈥檚 political future.
Joshua Huder publishes his Rule 22 blog at .
