Count me in with the countless millions who'd never heard of the Hastert Rule until the GOP took control of the House & Speakership. Since Republicans took the House in 2010, have heard it a lot.
According to Taegan Goddard's political dictionary, The Hastert Rule refers to a philosophy that requires the “majority of the majority” to bring up a bill for a vote in the House of Representatives. First used by Speaker Dennis Hastert in the mid-1990s, it
Here is the growing problem for the current speaker. John Boehner doesn't always follow the Hastert Rule, which party faithful believe should ALWAYS be used, no matter what the situation.
Right now, House conservatives are feeling especially riled. Not only is their own Speaker NOT playing by their rules, Senate party leaders are balking at outlawing the filibuster (on the pesky but correct grounds it would make them look like flaming hypocrites). Their will - which they utterly totally completely believe is the will of THE PEOPLE - is being thwarted & that is against God's plan for the United States of America. (I wish that was just me being snide, but lots of House & Senate members seem to believe it.)
What does all that mean, in real life terms? The bill authorizing Department of Homeland Security would never be voted up or down because it would never make it to the floor. Only bills that will pass courtesy of a Republican majority make it to the floor, if you follow the Hastert Rule. Then, the party would never face the humiliating headlines that greeted their failure to pass stop-gap funding. (They ultimately passed a stop-gap of the stop-gap.)
I am getting confused. It's sounding a lot like Republicans are fighting amongst themselves, something this 63-year old, formerly identified as conservative, registered as Republican until 2008 American has trouble fathoming. For decades, the GOP embraced the 11th Commandment (frequently attributed to no less than Ronald Reagan) - - "Thou shalt not speak ill of any fellow Republican."
Those days are sure gone with the wind!
Members of a small but mighty GOP enclave are going bonkers over how the Speaker handled DHS funding. To them, it should never have come to the floor - on principle. Send it back to the Senate demanding that immigration funding be stripped out before it would make it to a vote.
A vocal sub-section of Speaker Boehner's base is clear - - Stand by your values, your principles. If it means the Department of Homeland Security - the Department of Homeland Security! - goes unfunded, then let it be on the heads of the Senate ~or~ where it really rests, on the President. Let the House follow the Hastert Rule to ensure that only pure legislation is passed.
FACT: the Speaker of the House has that power. John Boehner consistently refuses to use it. In spite of knowing that Hell hath no fury like a true conservative scorned. Not sure if that means he's courageous & brave or that he just can't figure out how to keep his base happy & the country well governed.
As tough as it is being President Obama, right now it's gotta be easier than being John Boehner.
