Rules set to be voted on in the Texas House as soon as Thursday afternoon would maintain the controversial power-sharing arrangement between Republicans and Democrats—a setup strongly opposed by Republican voters.
Despite holding a majority in the chamber, Republicans have allowed Democrats to wield significant influence by awarding them powerful committee chairmanships. Ending this practice has been a longstanding priority for the Republican Party of Texas, with repeated calls from the grassroots to ensure that Republican leadership reflects the party’s control of the chamber.
Last week, the election of House Speaker Dustin Burrows—aided by Democrats and a minority of Republicans—cast doubt on whether such reforms would materialize. Now, with a draft of the rules quietly released at 4 a.m. and a vote expected as early as 2 p.m. today, concerns are mounting that the proposed rules preserve and even expand the bipartisan power-sharing arrangement.
One proposed rule stipulates that only members of the majority party (Republicans) can serve as committee chairs, while members of the minority party (Democrats) would exclusively hold vice-chair positions. This would ostensibly ensure that Republicans lead all standing committees. However, the rules grant significant new powers to vice-chairs, effectively enhancing Democrat influence within the committee system.
The draft rules include language that mandates collaboration between the chair and vice-chair in committee operations.
Specifically:
The chair of each committee shall schedule the work of the committee and determine the order of consideration of measures and matters referred to the committee in direct consultation with the vice-chair of the committee.
Moreover, Democrat vice-chairs would gain additional authority, including the ability to:
- Designate invited witnesses to testify in committee hearings.
- Prioritize measures for consideration by the committee.
- Request impact statements for legislation under review.
Vice-chairs could also receive an additional $4,000 a month for their offices if approved in a separate housekeeping proposal.
The draft rules also establish 12 new “permanent standing subcommittees,” creating another avenue for Democrats to wield power. Unlike the standing committees, there are no restrictions on which party may chair these subcommittees. This loophole raises concerns that Democrats could control critical subcommittees, even under the guise of Republican-led standing committees.
Furthermore, there are no safeguards to prevent Democrats from holding majorities on some committees, undermining Republican dominance in a chamber where they should ostensibly control the agenda.
Multiple sources in the Capitol have said this proposal would be worse than the status quo.
Adding to the controversy is the timing of the rules release. Members received the nearly 250-page document in the pre-dawn hours of Thursday morning, leaving little time for review before a vote. If the House proceeds as planned, lawmakers will be expected to deliberate and vote on the proposed rules just hours after convening at 2 p.m.
