WASHINGTON – Reps. Marc Veasey, Filemon Vela, Pete Gallego, and Beto O’Rourke announced that they will support a discharge petition introduced by Reps. Chris Van Hollen (MD), George Miller (CA), and Nita Lowey (NY).
A discharge petition is a procedural mechanism in the House of Representatives which allows a bill to be brought to the floor for a vote without the support of the Speaker of the House. It provides a way around the Hastert rule–a tactic which requires a majority of the Republican Members of Congress to support a bill before it can be brought for a vote by the full House of Representatives.
Pursuant to House Rules, if a majority of House Members sign the petition, a funding bill which does not include any extraneous provisions like repealing the Affordable Care Act will be brought before the full House for an up or down vote. Once a majority of House Members sign the discharge petition, a vote on such a measure, known as a “clean” continuing resolution, could occur as early as October 14th.
“As a freshman member of Congress, I am disheartened by this Republican shutdown and its effects on the American people,” said Rep. Marc Veasey (TX-33). “The American people should not have to wait any longer. This discharge petition will allow my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support an up or down vote on a clean continuing resolution and end this shutdown as early as this weekend.”
, George Miller (CA), and Nita Lowey (NY).){kind=link}