Dear Friend,
 
I know it’s not Friday, but we’ve got a special edition Telegram lined up for you.

Over the weekend, we concluded the vote for the next Speaker of the House after four days and fifteen votes. The result: A House of Representatives that's open, transparent, and accountable to you, the American people.
 
For me, this was less about who the Speaker is, than how the House would operate.
 
For too long, Washington has been broken – led by an elite few, not by many.
 
Instead of having just a handful of people in leadership dictate everything that happens in Congress, all representatives will now have a meaningful chance to participate in the debate and shape legislation on behalf of their constituents.
 
You can read the new rules here.
 
A few of the key reforms that we can look forward to in the 118th Congress include:
 
Restoring meaningful debate on spending bills. For years, under the Speakers of both political parties, Congress has passed giant omnibus spending bills with little debate or discussion. This happened in December when lawmakers were forced to vote on a $1.7 trillion spending bill that contained more than 7,000 earmarks and countless unrelated provisions. These bills will now be considered under “open rules,” which will empower any member – Republican or Democrat – to put forward amendments and have their voices heard.
 
Single subject bills. Year after year, Congress has engaged in the practice of “logrolling,” compiling “Christmas tree bills,” that are thousands of pages long, contain trillions of dollars in spending, and often thrown together in a matter of hours. Under the new framework, the House will operate under a single subject bill rule. This means that legislation like the National Defense Authorization Act, which sets priorities for national security and the Pentagon, won’t get loaded up with policies that cover everything from gun control and “diversity” to climate change and even coral reefs.
 
Controlling the national debt. Everyone knows that Congress spends far too much. One reason is that lawmakers have been able to rack up record amounts of red ink on autopilot by hiding debt increases in broader bills or by through procedural gimmicks. The result? A national debt that has grown to over $31 trillion. The new House rules will change that by requiring lawmakers to hold a separate vote on any increase in America’s debt limit, and by making it easier for lawmakers to target waste, fraud, and abuse in federal programs.
 
As I reflect on these important rules changes, I oftentimes think about how over the last 200 years, many of the issues our nation has dealt with have not been settled in a matter of hours, but rather in a matter of days, weeks, or even months.
 
It's more important to get things done right than to get them done fast, and I believe the new House Republican majority got it right.
 
I look forward to working in the 118th Congress to represent your interests.

Sincerely,





Tom Tiffany
Member of Congress

Click here or on the image above for my thoughts on the 118th Congress rules changes.

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