Congressman and Ranking Member Jim McGovern (D-MA) delivered a blistering critique of House Republican leadership during a Rules Committee hearing on Monday, calling out Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) for presiding over the most closed Congress in American history.
McGovern noted that, once the latest rule is reported out of the committee, the 119th Congress will have officially surpassed all prior records for limiting amendments on the House floor—with ten months still remaining in the session. According to McGovern, Republicans have advanced more than 115 bills under closed rules this Congress, barring any amendments. He noted that the previous record was also set under Johnson’s speakership in the 118th Congress, arguing that Republicans are repeatedly “breaking their own record” for restricting debate.
The ranking member accused the majority of weaponizing the Rules Committee to shield President Donald Trump from scrutiny and to transform the House into what he described as a rubber stamp for the White House. He claimed lawmakers cannot even “change a comma” in legislation without approval from party leadership and, by extension, Trump. “How pathetic is that?” He harshly stated.
McGovern cited statistics to underscore his point: since January 2025, he said, more than eight out of ten bills brought to the floor have been considered under rules that prohibit amendments. He added that Speaker Johnson has blocked 82 percent of all amendments submitted to the committee—more than 3,300 proposals—including over half of those offered by Republicans and more than 60 percent of bipartisan amendments.
That, McGovern argued, undercuts the very idea of legislative deliberation. He said members of both parties are being shut down, and that bipartisan efforts to improve legislation are routinely discarded. At a time when voters are calling for bipartisanship, he contended, the speaker is punishing it.
McGovern: ‘It’s A Sad State Of Affairs For This Committee, For This Congress, And For This Country’
Beyond procedural complaints, McGovern framed the debate as one about accountability. He called out House leadership for failing to conduct meaningful oversight when the administration withholds funding passed by Congress and for avoiding votes on tariffs until forced to act. He described it as an abdication of Congress’s constitutional duty to debate matters of war, peace, and economic policy.
McGovern also tied the procedural fight to pocketbook issues. While Republicans have focused on appliances and regulatory rollbacks, he said constituents are far more concerned about rising grocery prices, housing costs, and tariffs— which he noted the Supreme Court has ruled the president lacked authority to impose.
Affordability, he argued, is what Americans want Congress to address. Instead, he said, members are being denied even the opportunity to offer amendments aimed at lowering costs.
Calling it a “historic moment” for the committee—though not in a good way—McGovern concluded that shutting down debate harms not only lawmakers but the people they represent. In his view, Congress should allow open debate and votes. Instead, he said, it is closing itself off at a time when public trust is already strained.
