House is jarred by a procedural implosion

“Procedural implosion” (my coinage) is an anomalous term. It could be the second cousin of “planned chaos.” It is especially incongruous in Congress, which depends on uniform procedures to process legislation in an orderly fashion.

Parliamentary procedures set the table for considering legislation. When a handful of members are displeased with the legislative program, they can throw a fit and potentially upend the leadership table for a week.

The latest kerfuffle began the week of June 22, when the House Rules Committee brought forward a special rule providing for floor consideration of four major measures, including two of the 12 regular appropriations bills for the State Department, and for energy and water.

In that instance, the leadership’s headcount showed the votes were not there even to adopt the rule. A coterie of conservatives were insisting on first jump-starting the SAVE Act’s election law changes and considering a border security bill. The rule was pulled and the House adjourned late Tuesday for the week, having accomplished nothing.

The SAVE acronym stands for “safeguard American voter eligibility.” It would require proof of citizenship to register to vote, require a photo ID to actually vote, and prohibit most mail-in voting. The president’s attempt to implement his election law changes by executive order of March 26, 2025, has been blocked by a permanent injunction issued by a federal district court judge last month. The court concluded a president has no constitutional authority to oversee elections.

The SAVE Act originally passed the House on April........

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