The New House GOP majority passes the rules package with only one Republic raid

The House of Representatives passed a relatively little drama rule package Monday night 220-213 as the first agenda item for new majority House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

The 55-page package includes some, but not all, of the concessions McCarthy made to the Group of 20 House Republicans to get his bid as speaker over the line early Saturday morning and after 15 votes.

It includes the motion to vacate the provision allowing only one member to remove the Speaker of the House — one of the top Conservative demands.

It also eliminates proxy voting and virtual attendance at congressional committee meetings — which Democrats have instituted to manage the spread of COVID in the Capitol complex.

After Friday night and Saturday morning drama, which ended with the election of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Monday night’s rule voting was relatively drama-free

Rep. Tony Gonzales, a Republican from Texas, was the only “no” vote on the rules package Monday night. Another Texas Republican, Rep. Dan Crenshaw, disagreed

“For far too long, the House of Representatives has allowed members to do their jobs from home without ever setting foot in Washington,” Republican Representative Tom Cole said on the House floor.

Cole will chair the powerful House Rules Committee and went through some of the changes included in the House Rules package before voting began Monday night.

He also noted that with the Republicans assuming leadership of the committee, the special committee that had been investigating the COVID-19 pandemic would refocus and focus on understanding the origins of COVID and the negative impact the shutdowns have had on the country investigate.

House Republicans are also creating a special committee on competition in China.

Republicans also overturned the so-called “Gephardt rule,” which automatically raises the debt ceiling when a budget is passed.

All 212 Democrats voted against the rule package.

Only one Republican, moderate Texas Rep. Tony Gonzales, voted against.

His Texan compatriot, Rep. Dan Crenshaw, disagreed.

Moderate Republican Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina eventually voted in favor of the package after initially saying she was on the fence.

Representative Pramila Jayapal, chair of the House Progressive Caucus, a “MAGA Extremist Rules Set”.

Monday marked the first day of the House of Representatives after the dramatic showdown on Friday night and Saturday morning that finally allowed McCarthy to capture the speakership.

The House is also voting on an IRS bill that will roll back money to hire more staff.

Last week, it took McCarthy 15 rounds of voting to eventually become Speaker