House Democrats on Friday rolled out a plan to force a vote on reopening the federal government without additional conditions, using a maneuver that would require at least 17 Republicans to override GOP efforts to leverage federal spending to change the health care law.
Flanked by Democratic leaders, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) outlined plans to try a little-used procedural maneuver known as a discharge petition. House Democrats have tried petitions on other issues four times this Congress, so far with no luck.
“If Speaker Boehner will not allow a vote on a clean senate passed bill to open the government we will force them,” Rep. Nita Lowey (D., N.Y.) said at a press conference.
Rank-and-file lawmakers can override House leaders to bring legislation up for a floor vote as long as they can gather support from a majority of the chamber. Democrats control 200 of the 432 seats that are currently filled in the House, meaning they would need the support of their entire caucus and at least 17 Republicans.
Democrats said such motions are permitted only on the second and fourth Mondays of a month, meaning the earliest a vote could occur is Oct. 14.
Discharge petitions rarely succeed even for the most widely-supported measures because they represent a challenge to House leaders who control what comes up for floor votes, committee assignments and other important activities.
“It’s a question of what legislative options you have; we don’t have many,” Rep. George Miller (D., Calif.) said.
Some Republicans dismissed the idea.
“People who are talking about a discharge petition — do you know how long that would take?” asked Rep. Michael Grimm (R., N.Y.) “That’s not an option.”
Two years ago House Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers (R., Ky.), under pressure from Republican leaders, ended up withdrawing his name from a discharge petition to force a vote on a currency bill that was supported by a majority of the House.
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