15 House members seek to change rules

WASHINGTON — A bipartisan group of lawmakers is threatening to hold up the election of the next House speaker unless the new leader agrees to an overhaul of the chamber’s rules.

The lawmakers are part of the House Problem Solvers Caucus, which includes 48 congressmen from across the country.

Fifteen caucus members, eight Democrats and seven Republicans, are willing to block election of a new House leader, according to officials with No Labels, the nonpartisan organization that helped start the movement.

Former U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman is No Labels’ co-chairman. Mack McLarty, the Hope native and former White House chief of staff, is its co-chairman.

No Labels hasn’t yet released the names of all 15 members.

So far, no member of the Arkansas congressional delegation has joined the caucus, which is led by U.S. Reps. Tom Reed, R-N.Y., and Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J.

Among other things, the group’s “Break the Gridlock” agenda would create a fast-track for legislation that has wide bipartisan support. It would require that partisan representation on committees reflect the partisan makeup of the House. Motions to remove a speaker would require signatures from one-third of the House members before they would be considered. It would also be easier to introduce amendments when legislation is being debated.

Republicans now outnumber Democrats 236-193 in the House. (Six other seats are vacant.)

But members of the Problem Solvers Caucus predict that the gap will be narrower after the midterm elections in November. It would take a majority — 218 of the 435 votes — in order to select the next House speaker.

If the House is closely divided after the November vote, a handful of lawmakers could prevent either party from obtaining a majority.

And some Problem Solvers members say they’re willing to be holdouts, if that’s what it takes to obtain passage of their rules changes.

At a luncheon Sept. 13, McLarty said the nation needs the leadership of No Labels and Problem Solvers.

“I can’t see any other organization or vehicle that has at least the potential to be a catalyst to bring people together and govern in a bipartisan manner,” he said. “This is a pivotal moment, a timely moment for the organization, obviously reflecting the political landscape in our country.”

U.S. Reps. Mike Coffman, R-Colo.; Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa.; Stephanie Murphy, D-Fla.; and Tom O’Halleran, D-Ariz., were among the Problem Solvers Caucus members at the event who promised to take a stand.