Speaker Boehner’s Violations of ‘Hastert Rule’ Mount in the House

CNSNews.com ^ | 03/10/2015 | Rudy Takala

[E. Pluribus Unum]

House Speaker John Boehner at his Jan. 8, 2015 press briefing. (AP Photo)

(CNSNews.com) – House Speaker John Boehner has passed legislation opposed by a majority of his own party nine times since becoming speaker in January 2011.

That places him ahead of his predecessor, Nancy Pelosi, and four votes shy of the record for violations of the “Hastert Rule.”

The Hastert Rule, described by former House Speaker Dennis Hastert in 2004, refers to the idea that the House speaker will only bring legislation to the floor for a vote if it has the support of “the majority of the majority.”

A March 3rd vote in the House to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which passed last week, marked the ninth occasion that Boehner has violated the Hastert Rule.

The DHS funding bill passed in the House mainly with Democratic votes in spite of conservative opposition to funding President Obama’s executive amnesty, with 182 Democrats joining 75 Republicans voting in favor of the legislation, and 167 House Republicans voting in opposition.

Another violation of the Hastert Rule was narrowly avoided on Wednesday when Speaker Boehner brought legislation to the floor authorizing $7.2 billion for Amtrak and other rail services through 2019. However, In that case, 132 Republicans joined 184 Democrats in voting to pass the legislation against opposition from 101 Republicans. Eleven Republicans and four Democrats were not present for the vote.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi violated the Hastert Rule seven times during her speakership from 2007-2011. Hastert violated his own rule 12 times during the eight years of his tenure from 1999-2007, with five of those occasions taking place during his first two years in the House’s top leadership post.

After four years in power, Boehner, who violated the rule five times in 2013 and twice in 2014, may be on track to exceed the 12 violations Hastert racked up in twice the time.

At a minimum, the House will face contentious votes likely to divide Republicans when the federal Export-Import Bank faces renewal in June, and when legislation to raise the federal debt limit is introduced before October.

The Export-Import Bank provides taxpayer-funded loans to corporations that do business overseas. It faces opposition from conservative organizations like the Heritage Foundation which view it as “corporate welfare.”

A vote on raising the debt limit was last taken in February 2014 – and was one of the occasions in which Boehner violated the Hastert Rule.

Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert maintains order during the 108th Congress. (Wikipedia)

Rep. Walter Jones (R-NC), a conservative who often finds himself on the side of his party’s losing majority, said that the practice tends to widen intra-party rifts.

“If the leadership continues to reach out to Democrats and forgets that the Republican Party has certain core principles as a party, it will create more and more animosity,” Jones said, according to The New York Times.

That animosity manifested itself in the days leading up to the vote on DHS funding in the form of advertisements produced by the American Action Network (AAN). Former Boehner chief of staff Barry Jackson and former Republican National Committee (RNC) chief of staff Mike Shields both sit on AAN’s board.

In television advertisements produced by AAN that were directed at conservative Reps. Jim Bridenstine (R-OK), Jim Jordan (R-OH), and Tim Huelskamp (R-KS), a narrator warned that: “Some in Washington are willing to put our security at risk by jeopardizing critical security funding” before urging viewers to call the targeted member to complain.

AAN also paid for live calls bearing a similar message directed at constituents in another 50 House districts. The organization created digital messages aimed at conservative members in nine districts.

Asked whether Boehner approved of the ads, Boehner spokesman Michael Steel told CNSNews that he did not.

“We are forbidden by law from coordinating with outside political groups - but the Speaker does not think these ads are appropriate. He strongly believes in Ronald Reagan’s ‘11th Commandment,” Steel said.

Rep. Huelskamp told CNSNews.com that he did not take Steel’s comments at face value.

“He punishes people with whom he disagrees,” Huelskamp said, referring to Boehner. “The RINOs in the conference -- they do whatever they want. At the end of the day, that’s who the speaker usually votes with.”

RINO is an acronym for “Republicans in Name Only,” a derogatory term used by conservatives to describe more liberal members of the party.

Huelskamp added that the establishment wing of the Republican Party keeps promising to become more conservative and unify the caucus -- sometime in the future. “It’s always the next election down the road. Conservatives are sick and tired of being told it’s just around the bend.”“For many conservatives, there’s no way they’re going to trust the speaker again,” Huelskamp told CNSNews.com.

[DesertRhino]

Its just proof that there is actually only one party.

[Gaffer]

He is the penultimate enemy of conservatives behind only Obama.

[kosciusko51]

I’m beginning to think that we are as close to a coalition government. In essence, we have three parties: the Dems, the GOPe, and the conservative GOP.

While America voted for the GOP in November, too many GOPe members were elected, and the coalition government is now the Dems and GOPe, with the conservative GOP in the minority.

[cotton1706]

Let me explain the Hastert Rule once again.

The Hastert rule was a tool/trick used to prevent conservative legislation. The Hastert Rule allowed the republican leadership to pat conservatives on the head and say “sorry little Jimmy conservative, but your legislation doesn’t have the support of a majority of the majority so it’s going nowhere. Sorry!”

Then in 2006 and 2008, 60 old guard republicans either retired or were defeated. Then about 60 more-conservative members were elected in 2010.

So conservatives now for the most part comprise a majority of the majority. So out goes the Hastert rule.

Bottom line: conservatives and conservatism are to be thwarted at all cost by the Establishment. They will use whatever excuse or method to do so.

[Uncle Miltie]

Boner is the Speaker protected by Leftists from being tossed out by Conservatives.

[b4its2late]

He really is against us.

[Digger]

Bottom line: conservatives and conservatism are to be thwarted at all cost by the Establishment. They will use whatever excuse or method to do so.

This should have been seen by conservatives many yrs ago. Heck, I have seen this playbook for probably 3 decades. If my insight continues as in the past, grab your arse & prepare for the afterlife.

[grania]

This should've been resolved two years ago when the HOR gained a Republican majority. Boehner has NEVER been an acceptable Speaker. Now he's enabling the criminality of the Obama administration.

I don't know how the majority of Republicans oust him. But you know what? They've been elected to DO something and this is a crisis. They sure as *ell better figure out how.

[sarge83]

The conservatives need to keep rubbing boner and mcweasals noses in it every time they decide doing the bidding of their democrat masters. Make them cross the aisle to get democrat votes time and time again and in the process piss off more and more conservatives. Maybe more conservatives will awaken from the Svengali like spell the GOPE has on them and their never ending $$$ and votes despite selling them out time and time again.

[lodi90]

You’re assuming the majority of the GOP caucus didn’t want Boehner to break the Hastert rule. You’d be wrong there. Pretty clear the vast majority of the beltwaY GOP are happy to let the Dems do the heavy lifting on spending & amnesty as long as they get cover from Boehner.

[nomad]

What do you expect from the party of sell out? Hey, check this thread out: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3266350/posts what do you think the clown party will do IF these predictions come true?