Opinion | How House Republicans are literally abusing their privilege – By Hayes Brown (MSNBC) / Nov 13, 2023
Despite being in the majority, some Republicans are using a wave of “privileged” resolutions to skirt leadership and throw red meat to the base.
Last week, the House voted on a resolution to censure Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., for her statements about the war between Israel and Hamas. It came just a few months after House Republicans censured Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., as revenge for his role in impeaching former President Donald Trump. Those resolutions were both fast-tracked to the floor, taking advantage of a parliamentary quirk that deems them “privileged,” as they deal with the “privileges of the House.”
There’s nothing new about the use of privileged resolutions, which must be voted on within two legislative days once they are introduced. Over the last few decades, they’ve often been used as tools for the minority party to force votes that are more about scoring political points than simply making sure the House is functioning properly. But the censures of Tlaib and Schiff are different. They show that, despite being in the majority, Republicans have resorted to using their privilege to create the illusion of action as their majority squabbles over how to achieve anything substantive.
House rules define so-called questions of privilege as those that deal with the “safety, dignity, and the integrity of its proceedings.” Those can be matters that fall solely under the House’s jurisdiction — like impeachment and initiating spending bills — and making sure that the record of debates is accurate. They also include allegations of impropriety, most often demanding that the Ethics Committee look into allegations against a member.
