AURORA | Two of Colorado’s congressional delegation want to change rules on the House floor. U.S. reps Jared Polis, D-Boulder, and Mike Coffman, R-Aurora, joined an effort this week they say increases transparency, promotes bipartisanship and encourages a more open legislative process.
The effort is being spearheaded by a bipartisan group called the “Problem Solvers Caucus” — which Polis and Coffman are both members of.
The changes the group is asking for includes:
- Requiring a 3/5 supermajority for passage and consideration of legislation under closed rules.
- Requiring any bill that gains at least 290 members as cosponsors or a majority of each party, must be marked up by a relevant committee.
- Establishing a bipartisan annual joint meeting at the beginning of each Congress.
- Requiring the Speaker of the House is elected by an absolute majority.
- Allowing each member to introduce one bill each year that is heard and marked up by the relevant committee.
“There is simply too much power in too few hands with too little getting done in Congress,” Coffman said in a statement. “There are strong bipartisan majorities supporting solutions on issues from healthcare to immigration. We need to change the rules to have an open process to vote on them.”
The rules, if adopted, would govern the 116th Congress.
— KARA MASON, Staff Writer
