Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) has announced his candidacy to become the next chairman of the House Rules Committee. The House Rules Committee is an influential committee that acts as the last gatekeeper before most bills are voted on by the full House.
“I'll leave that up to the speaker,” Roy said this week when asked about the chairmanship on Steve Bannon's “War Room” podcast. “Obviously, I put my name out there.”
This would be a surprising promotion for a lawmaker who has been a vocal critic of House leadership on certain issues, particularly government spending.
But in recent days, the Republican insurgent and current policy chair of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus has become more concerned about the relationship between Republican leaders and members of Congress, who are typically known for defying directives. He has a reputation for being a conduit.
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Rep. Chip Roy may vie for House Rules Committee chairman ((Photo credit: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images))
Roy won a seat on the House Rules Committee in January 2023 as part of a deal with former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) aimed at expanding conservative representation; was part of a broader compromise to win the short-lived Speakership of the House. .
Despite early criticism of Mr. McCarthy, the Texas Republican was not one of the eight Republicans who later voted to oust him, and he publicly criticized his colleagues' decision to do so. I was even skeptical.
The House Rules Committee is the final step in introducing the bill before a vote in the full House. Committees and their chairs are responsible for determining the terms of consideration of a bill and what amendments, if any, are proposed for a vote.
After a bill passes the House Rules Committee, a “rules vote” of the entire House is held to allow for discussion of the bill before a vote for final passage.
Roy has voted against several House rules in his two years as a committee member, potentially putting his hopes for the role in jeopardy.
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That decision rests with House Speaker Mike Johnson. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc, via Getty Images)
But he has support from several colleagues – Rep. Ralph Norman (RS.C.) told Fox News Digital on Thursday, “He would be great. I support him 100%. ” he said.
Rep. John Carter (R-Texas) wrote in X that Roy “will build the House conservative coalition needed to support President Trump's priorities as Chairman of the Rules Committee.”
But unlike other committees whose chairs are elected by a broader group of lawmakers, only the Speaker has a say on the House Rules Committee.
“I think it's important to have a rules chair, whoever it is, who supports the leadership,” one Republican lawmaker, who was granted anonymity to speak freely, said of Roy's candidacy.
“The Speaker is somehow going to get his agenda passed, and whoever he appoints to do that becomes a contract because he can remove them and then replace them.”
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Current House Rules Committee Chairman Michael Burgess will retire at the end of this year. (Getty Images)
“He's one of the smartest people and knows the procedures, but most people wouldn't trust him in that role,” said another Republican.
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There are rumors that current House Education and Labor Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R) is also in the running for the position.
Current House Rules Committee Chairman Michael Burgess (R-Texas) will retire at the end of this year.
