Can you explain what a discharge petition is and how House members can use it to push for a vote on the foreign aid bill that was passed by the Senate?
The Senate passed a bill worth $95 billion for foreign aid, which was supported by a group of senators from both parties. The bill includes aid for Ukraine and Israel. However, Republican leaders in the House are hesitant to bring it to a vote, despite pressure from President Biden and Democratic leaders.
House Democrats are exploring all potential legislative options to advance the bill in the House, stated House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries following the Senate’s decision.
A potential solution is to utilize a seldom effective legislative tactic that permits a majority of members to introduce a bill on the floor, also known as a discharge petition.
A report from the Congressional Research Service in 2023 stated that discharge is intentionally challenging to achieve and has seldom been effectively utilized.
A rule established in 1931 governs the procedure. Any member has the option to submit a discharge petition to the House clerk, who will then make it accessible in a “convenient location” for other members to sign.
Once a majority of the chamber signs the petition, a seven-day waiting period begins. During this time, a member who has signed the petition can inform leadership that they plan to bring the discharge motion to the floor.
The person speaking must choose a timeframe for the proposal to be reviewed within two days of legislative sessions. If the majority agrees, the House proceeds to discuss the main issue.
Discharge petitions are not commonly successful because they require members of the majority party to go against their party leaders. In recent times, members have attempted to use discharge petitions for things like raising the debt ceiling, increasing the federal minimum wage, and addressing other matters. In 2015, a group of House Republicans joined forces with Democrats (who were in the minority) to reauthorize the Export-Import Bank, despite opposition from their party leaders. This was the first successful discharge petition since 2002.
The time required to gather enough signatures and the limited availability of specific days for bringing a discharge petition to the floor often make this tactic ineffective for time-sensitive laws.
House Democrats already have one broadly worded discharge petition that has the support of 212 active members, and party leaders believe they can use that as a shell or vehicle for bringing the foreign aid bill to the floor. But it would still need sign-on from a handful of House Republicans to reach the 218-member threshold.
Obtaining signatures from members of the dominant political party continues to be the main challenge for a discharge petition, as stated by Matt Glassman, a senior fellow at Georgetown University’s Government Affairs Institute. Although there may be a significant number of Republicans who are open to supporting the bill if it reaches the voting stage, they may hesitate to add their names to a discharge petition and make themselves vulnerable to criticism.
According to Glassman, if 218 individuals are determined to accomplish something in the House, they will succeed despite any obstacles. However, there is no such determination within the Republican Party for this particular issue.
Furthermore, there is the potential for progressive individuals who are against providing additional aid to Israel to withdraw their support from the petition.
Jeffries stated that he was not worried about losing the backing of the Democratic party. He clarified that his group has been holding discussions to determine the specific actions members will take, emphasizing that all possibilities are being considered. He also noted that he believes the vast majority of House Democrats are prepared and eager to back the national security legislation at this time.
Representative Jeffries stated that there is currently a national security bill awaiting a final vote, which was already approved by the Senate with strong support from both parties. He urged for a simple vote in order to prioritize America’s national security.
What does the foreign aid package contain?
The proposed law aims to give large sums of money to American partners, with $60 billion allocated for Ukraine, $14.1 billion for Israel, and $9.2 billion for humanitarian aid in Gaza. Following an overnight meeting, a bipartisan team of senators reached a consensus on the bill on Tuesday, finally pushing it through after months of debate on the best course of action.
The new law does not include stronger measures for securing the border, as Republicans in Congress recently rejected a bipartisan agreement on border issues proposed in the Senate, which was also opposed by former President Donald Trump. However, Republican leaders in the House have strongly criticized the foreign aid bill for not addressing the U.S.-Mexico border.
Prior to the Senate’s approval of the foreign aid bill, House Speaker Mike Johnson expressed skepticism about the bill receiving a vote in the lower chamber. He noted that without any changes to border policies from the Senate, the House would have to make decisions on these significant issues on its own.
During a press conference on Wednesday, the Republican from Louisiana stated that the House, which is currently led by Republicans, will not be pressured or coerced into approving a foreign aid bill that was rejected by a majority of Republican senators and fails to address our own border security.
Kaia Hubbard
Source: cbsnews.com