If the House makes any changes whatsoever to the immigration bill that blew up and died before Speaker John Boehner tried to bring it back to life–and then votes on those changes on Thursday evening or on Friday–it would be a violation of Boehner’s own 72-hour rule.
“I proposed a 72-hour minimum time for members to read bills,” Boehner said as House minority leader on May 14, 2009. “I think it’s important that members do have a chance.”
“Americans not only expect lawmakers to know what they’re voting on, they deserve to know what’s in these bills as well,” Boehner added on Sept. 22, 2009.
“That’s why House Republicans are gathering signatures for a discharge petition to force a vote on bipartisan legislation that requires a 72-hour review period for all major bills. Every major bill should be posted online and publicly available for at least 72 hours, and Republicans are working to make this happen,” he said.
On Sept. 24, 2009, Boehner appeared on Fox News to back up that move.
“If we are lucky enough to be in the majority and I’m lucky enough to be speaker, I will not bring a bill to the floor that hasn’t been posted online for at least 72 hours,” Boehner said on Fox News on July 23, 2010.
The Republicans won the majority in the House later that year, and Boehner has been Speaker since. Now he may be seeking to bring a bill to the floor without having posted it online and for members to read for 72 hours.
After Boehner was elected Speaker, he changed the 72-hour rule to a 3-day rule–which means the earliest the House could vote on this without Boehner breaking his own rule is just after midnight Saturday morning.
WATCH BOEHNER PROMISE MULTIPLE TIMES THAT BILLS WILL GET 72 HOURS ONLINE BEFORE ANY VOTES:
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