House passes rules package that makes it harder to remove speaker

The House of Representatives on Friday passed a rules package for the 119th Congress, which makes it more difficult for them to remove House Speaker Mike Johnson by extending the member threshold necessary to trigger a floor vote.

The rules package was unveiled on Wednesday, and now requires nine GOP members to back a motion to vacate that would force a vote on ousting the speaker. It also slightly alters the names of two House committees, allows committees to adopt rules on electronic voting, and lines up votes on 12 Republican bills, Politico reported.

The package, which needed a simple majority to pass, was approved in a 215-209 vote. 

Democrats have slammed the package, claiming that the new rules also make it impossible for Democrats to introduce a motion to vacate and oust the speaker. 

"Instead of electing a Speaker of the House, they have decided to elect a Speaker of the Republican Conference — held hostage by their most extreme members," House Rules Committee ranking member Jim McGovern said in a statement reported by Axios.

The package also eliminated the House's controversial Diversity and Inclusion office, and a new provision now restricts the House from holding suspension votes after Wednesdays in order to give members 72 hours to review legislation. 

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.