Discharge petitions, once a rare tool to seize control of the House floor, are increasingly plaguing Republican leaders and giving Democrats outsize sway despite being the minority.The legislative procedure, used successfully as recently as this past week, bypasses the committee process and forces legislation directly to a floor vote if a simple majority signs on in support. So far this Congress, eight discharge petitions have reached the threshold, with six receiving a full vote and passing the House.In each case, it took Democrats uniting behind a resolution and then peeling off a handful of rank-and-file Republicans to end-run Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), who ordinarily sets the floor schedule.
The most recent petition, a bill requiring employers to bargain within 10 days of union certification — introduced to prevent union contracts from stalling — prompted GOP leadership to denounce the usage of discharge petitions. Johnson has one of the slimmest majorities in history, making it easier for the minority to circumvent him.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) told the Washington Examiner he does not support the use of discharge petitions because “we have committees, and the committees do hard work.”
