House Committee on Rules
Quick Facts
- Members
- 26
- Chair
- Foxx, Virginia(R)
- Ranking Member
- McGovern, James P.(D)
- Subcommittees
- 2
- Referred Bills
- 20
About
The House Committee on Rules is one of the most powerful committees in Congress, though it does not oversee any specific policy area. Instead, it controls the procedural rules under which bills are debated and voted on in the House. Before any bill can reach a floor vote, the Rules Committee must pass a special resolution that sets the terms of debate—including how much time members have to discuss the bill, which amendments can be proposed, and whether amendments are allowed at all. This gatekeeping power makes the committee essential to the legislative process. The committee also has jurisdiction over changes to the standing rules of the House itself, handled through two subcommittees focused on the legislative process and House organization. Because of its vast influence, the committee is weighted heavily toward the majority party, with nine Republican and four Democratic members. Chair Virginia Foxx (R-NC) and Ranking Member James McGovern (D-MA) lead the panel. Recent activity shows the committee has been busy managing rules for appropriations bills, homeland security measures, and other legislation moving through the House in early 2026.
AI-generated summary
Members (26)
Referred Legislation (20)
| Bill | Title | Sponsor | Latest Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| H.Res. 965 | Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 1689) to require the Secretary of Homeland Security to designate Haiti for temporary protected status. | Pressley, Ayanna | 2026-04-16 |
| H.Res. 1170 | Prohibiting Members of the House of Representatives from bringing or displaying a flag of a foreign nation on the floor of the House, and for other purposes. | Cammack, Kat | 2026-04-14 |
| H.Res. 1173 | Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 615) to prohibit the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture from prohibiting the use of lead ammunition or tackle on certain Federal land or water under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture, and for other purposes; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 2925) to amend the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993 to provide for security of tenure for use of mining claims for ancillary activities, and for other purposes; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 3195) to rescind Public Land Order 7917, to reinstate mineral leases and permits in the Superior National Forest, to ensure timely review of Mine Plans of Operations, and for other purposes; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 764) to require the Secretary of the Interior to reissue regulations removing the gray wolf from the list of endangered and threatened wildlife under the Endangered Species Act of 1973; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 3397) to require the Director of the Bureau of Land Management to withdraw a rule of the Bureau of Land Management relating to conservation and landscape health; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 6285) to ratify and approve all authorizations, permits, verifications, extensions, biological opinions, incidental take statements, and any other approvals or orders issued pursuant to Federal law necessary for the establishment and administration of the Coastal Plain oil and gas leasing program, and for other purposes; and providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 6090) to provide for the consideration of a definition of antisemitism set forth by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance for the enforcement of Federal antidiscrimination laws concerning education programs or activities, and for other purposes. |
