The new year means new rules for the 2021 Congress. House speaker Nancy Pelosi, who narrowly won reelection Sunday, revealed a set of proposed ethical and legislative reforms on Friday. Pelosi said these proposed changes seek to “[increase] accountability for the American people, and [make] this House of Representatives the most inclusive in history.”
Under the new rules, lawmakers convicted of federal crimes connected to their legislative service or election would be barred from the House floor. In late December, Trump pardoned and commuted the sentences of multiple former Republican lawmakers.
Additionally, legislators who knowingly share manipulated media will face official conduct violations. The election cycle and subsequent court battles saw some GOP lawmakers sharing deceptively edited content on social media.
Representatives who reveal information about House whistleblowers would also be subject to conduct violations. This change comes after President Trump was swiftly acquitted by the Senate on two articles of impeachment earlier this year where GOP legislators threatened to expose the identity of the whistleblower who disclosed Trump’s conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The new rules also serve to bolster the goals of the newly created Office of Diversity and Inclusion which is responsible for creating a House diversity plan and publishing yearly reports on diverse recruiting and hiring practices throughout the House of Representatives. Pelosi said that the committee intends to “facilitate a diverse workforce that is reflective of our Members and the districts they represent.” Kemba Hendrix, former Director for the House Democratic Diversity Initiative, was appointed in March to lead the new office and has expressed her enthusiasm for “working to provide Members, Committees and House Officers with additional resources to assist in their diversity staffing efforts.”
The proposed rules also establish a new bipartisan Select Committee on Economic Disparity and Fairness in Growth which would recommend policies “to make our economy work for everyone.” The new committee would have investigative authority, power to hold public hearings, and advise standing committees “with respect to policies related to economic fairness, access to education, and workforce development.”
Changes related to COVID-19 include extending the select committee on coronavirus and approving temporary remote voting measures. The new Congress will meet for the first time this Sunday.
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