The House of Representatives is the cornerstone of American democracy, providing a forum for the people of the nation to handle the issues of the day. Unfortunately, in recent years, this forum has been hijacked by an extreme minority of members who have used ancient protocols embedded in House rules to stack the deck in their favor. Despite the fact that only a small number of representatives are able to effectively dictate the agenda of the House, their influence has left America with a government unable to do its job efficiently.
The root of the problem lies in the tyranny of a few over the will of the majority. By manipulating arcane rules, such as the way to handle points of order, these extreme minority members have been able to delay, obstruct, or derail anything they deem unacceptable. As a result, bills that have wide support amongst Reformers, Progressives, and Moderates languish in the House and are unable to get to a vote on the floor.
The way these extreme minority members force their will on the House is by leveraging ancient protocols that give them the right of multiplied debates and by introducing points of order that often go unchallenged. For example, the minority will often introduce a point of order arguing that a bill violates the House rules, thus preventing the bill from going to the floor for debate and a vote. Even when their points of order are countered, the minority’s arguments often delay the proceedings and further delay the bill’s progress. In essence, the minority employs a “tyranny of the minority” tactic that allows them to dominate the proceedings and prevent anything they deem “inappropriate” from reaching the floor.
The tyranny of the extreme minority in the House of Representatives is wrong and has resulted in a government increasingly gridlocked and unable to pass vital legislation. The majority of the people are no longer being represented and held hostage by a small group of power hungry representatives. America needs to take action to veto this tyranny of minority rule and restore the balance of power to ensure that the majority of the American people are properly represented in Congress.