During the latest meeting with House Republicans, party leader Kevin McCarthy said he is in favor of reintroducing the Holman Rule. It has been out of effect since January 2019, when the Democrats took the majority in the House.
The Holman Rule allows amendments to appropriations bills to lay off or reduce the pay of federal employees. It permits budget cuts for specific programs.
.@GOPLeader Kevin McCarthy on government funding: "The Democrats have been in power. They've had the House, the Senate and the presidency. They did not do their work. They should not jam us now." pic.twitter.com/A4weCdMut0
— CSPAN (@cspan) December 14, 2022
After winning control of the House of Representatives in the midterms, McCarthy and his fellow Republicans will have a chance to reintroduce the rule once the new Congress becomes official in January 2023.
The history of the Holman rule and current support
The Holman rule was first enacted in 1876 and was continuously active until 1983, when it was repealed during Ronald Reagan’s presidency. In 2017, it was temporarily reinstated, but it was once again rendered ineffective in January 2019 when the Democrats regained a majority in the House.
After the news broke, James Comer, incoming chairman of the House Oversight Committee, was delighted. The Kentucky representative said the rule is essential for proper oversight of the Biden Administration.
WATCH: @RepJamesComer highlights House Democrats’ failure to conduct Congressional oversight of the executive branch:
“They’ve completely turned a blind eye to the Biden administration’s disastrous policies.” pic.twitter.com/mi3mzCprth
— House Republicans (@HouseGOP) December 15, 2022
