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Forward

At the beginning of each Congress, any set of lawmakers who constitute a majority of the chamber have the opportunity to establish priorities and implement operational and institutional reforms through the House rules package.

Throughout its history, the House of Representatives has organized itself in various ways that likely are unfamiliar to a modern audience. From centralizing power in the hands of the Speaker to vesting it in the Rules Committee dominated by seniority to exercising it through a multi-party system, there are virtually endless possible variations.

As we approach the start of the 119th Congress, representatives have an opportunity to reimagine the House of Representatives in a way that better supports their constituents’ needs and priorities and reflects our current political moment. This report provides recommendations on how they may choose to empower themselves and sweep away the cobwebs of the past.

This report is a successor to our recommendations for the 118th Congress and part of a series of recommendations we have made for each Congress over the last decade. It is the result of many conversations with congressional experts on what we believe are ideas that can make the House more effective.

This report is a joint publication of the Foundation for American Innovation and the American Governance Institute.