It matters who holds the Speaker’s gavel in the House of Representatives.  The Speaker controls what bills are considered on the Floor.  So the Speaker has a huge role in deciding how the House addresses critical issues like inflation, border security, and crime.  The votes that Representatives-elect are taking this week matter.  But it’s not the only thing that matters.

At the end of this process, the Republican Majority will put new rules in place that will make it easier for Representatives to do their job and actually represent their constituents.  It will open up the legislative process and give rank-and-file Members the chance to affect real change.

Bills will be presented 72 hours before they are voted on.  That means we won’t have 4,000-page bills rushed through before Members even have a chance to read them.  Something called “Calendar Wednesdays” will be back, and Members will be able to propose amendments for an up-or-down vote on the Floor.  All of this will give legislators the ability to legislate, to do their job.

And they will have to do their job in the office.  Proxy voting will be a thing of the past.  For almost three years, Speaker Nancy Pelosi allowed Members to hide behind a “public health emergency” and vote from boats or in their pajamas.  If they want a paycheck from the American people, they have to show up to work.

There’s no denying that it’s a messy process, but at the end of it, we’ll have the opportunity to pass better, stronger legislation that will correct course after two years of the Biden Administration.