One of the majority's prerogatives is writing the House's rules and using its majority status to effect the chamber's rules on the day the new House convenes. It is a feature of the House, but not of the Senate, that it must adopt rules at the convening of each Congress. Although each new House largely adopts the chamber rules that existed in the previous Congress, each new House also adopts changes to those rules. This report is the first in a series on House rules changes. A second report currently covers changes for the 110 th through 112 th Congresses: CRS Report R42395, A Retrospective of House Rules Changes Since the 110 th Congress , by [author name scrubbed] and [author name scrubbed]. The 103rd Congress: Prelude to Change

The House rules changes made in the 104 th Congress reflected a Republican frame of reference that was built over many years as the minority party, including more democratic floor processes, minority party rights, a subordinate role for seniority, accountability in House operations, and streamlining of the House's organization and staffing. Floor Procedure

A minority motion to recommit with instructions should be guaranteed. The provisions of the platform that related to Congress as an institution were as follows:
On the first day of the 104 th Congress, the new Republican majority will immediately pass the following major reforms, aimed at restoring the faith and trust of the American people in their government:
First, require all laws that apply to the rest of the country also apply equally to the Congress;
Second, select a major, independent auditing firm to conduct a comprehensive audit of Congress for waste, fraud or abuse;
Third, cut the number of House committees, and cut committee staff by one-third;
Fourth, limit the terms of all committee chairs;
Fifth, ban the casting of proxy votes in committee;
Sixth, require committee meetings to be open to the public;
Seventh, require a three-fifths majority vote to pass a tax increase;
Eighth, guarantee an honest accounting of our Federal Budget by implementing zero base-line budgeting. Changes to the committee system made in rules resolutions in the 104 th Congress and subsequently addressed most aspects of the committee system. Commemorative Legislation

H.Res. Previously, the names of signatories were made public only after a majority of Members had signed a discharge petition. Changes related to budgetary legislation also appear in " Rules Changes Affecting the Chamber and Floor ," including
A three-fifths vote was required to pass legislation containing a federal income tax rate increase. Some offices were abolished, while others were created. Responsibilities were shifted, and accountability was increased. (For changes affecting the structure of the Ethics Committee, see " Structure and Organization " under " Rules Changes Affecting Committees .") Republican criticisms of changes in the House made at the direction of the Democratic Caucus beginning after the 1974 election and continuing through the 103 rd Congress, the ideas of the Conservative Opportunity Society in the 1980s, the Republican '92 Group, the Republican rules package of the 103 rd Congress, the recommendations of the bipartisan Joint Committee on the Organization of Congress, the Contract with America, and other sources came together in the rules package the Republicans put before the House in the 104 th Congress. At the same time, a number of rules did not change, either at all or substantially. The great bulk of House rules was continued from Congress to Congress since the rules had been built up over decades to support the majority in its organization and operation of the House. Rules changes do not necessarily enable a majority to pass legislation, to keep all the party's Members together, to work smoothly with the minority, to achieve the same outcomes as the other body, or to overcome voter sentiments. Rules facilitate the majority's organization and operation of the House, but they do not dictate to party leaders and others how to run the House.
One of the majority party's prerogatives is writing the House rules and using its majority status to effect the chamber's rules on the day the new House convenes. It is a feature of the House that it must adopt rules at the convening of each Congress. While each new House largely adopts the chamber rules that existed in the previous Congress, each new House also adopts changes to those rules. Institutional and political developments during the Democratic majority, particularly during the 103rd Congress, were a prelude to the rules changes made by the Republicans when they took control of the House in the 104th Congress.
Rules changes made at the convening of the 104th Congress addressed most aspects of the committee system: decision-making autonomy, jurisdictions, internal committee procedures and structure, and staff. Rules changes for the 104th Congress and after also addressed most aspects of legislation deliberations on the House floor and organization of the chamber. For example, the minority was guaranteed the ability to offer the motion to recommit with instructions, commemorative legislation was banned, the names of signatories of discharge petitions were publicized, provisions were made for convening a House with a reduced membership due to a terrorist attack, and the Speaker was subjected to a term limit that was later repealed.
Two of the eight goals of the Republicans' 1994 Contract with America dealt with budgetary legislation. House rules were changed to require a three-fifths vote to pass a federal income tax rate increase, and cost estimates replaced baselines as the preferred way of understanding the year-to-year changes in federal spending.
Rules changes in the administration of the House were extensive. Offices were abolished and others created. Responsibilities were shifted and accountability clarified. Rules changes affecting ethical standards were largely technical, with most major changes taking place through freestanding and other legislation.
The House rules changes made starting in the 104th Congress reflected a Republican frame of reference that was built over many years as the minority party. Most rules, however, did not change, either at all or substantially, since they had evolved over decades to support the majority in its organization and operation of the House. Rules changes do not necessarily enable a majority to pass legislation, to overcome voter sentiments, or to work smoothly with the minority. Rules facilitate the majority's organization and operation of the House; they do not dictate to party leaders and others how to run the House or what outcomes can be achieved.
This report describes and analyzes only rules changes made on the opening day of a new Congress, but it references in footnotes selected other legislation and actions that also changed or affected House rules during the 104th Congress and during subsequent Congresses.
This report is the first in a series on House rules changes at the beginning of a Congress. For changes in the 110th, 111th, and 112th Congresses, see CRS Report R42395, A Retrospective of House Rules Changes Since the 110th Congress, by [author name scrubbed] and [author name scrubbed]. This report will not be updated.