Maryland Congressman Jamie Raskin (D) has been named chairman of a newly created subcommittee of the House Rules Committee. The Subcommittee on Expedited Procedures will look into ways of fast-tracking certain pieces of legislation, in the committee and on the House floor.
The subcommittee is being created following an amendment that Raskin offered to the Rules panel’s rules for the 116th Congress. Bills will be referred to the subcommittee at the discretion of Rules Chair James P. McGovern (D-Mass.).
In a statement, McGovern said Raskin, a constitutional scholar and law professor, was an ideal choice for the job.
“Never before has there been a subcommittee dedicated to examining the use of expedited legislative procedures in the U.S. Congress. There are many critically important measures that could be considered under expedited procedures,” he said. “That includes everything from trade measures to our nation’s involvement abroad under the War Powers Resolution.”
Raskin said the new subcommittee will “ensure that Congress is readily equipped to meet not only the multiple crises of our time but all unforeseen emergencies with the utmost seriousness and dispatch when appropriate.”
“With dozens of pressing problems to address in Congress, from sky-high prescription drug pricing and rampant gun violence to climate change and humanitarian crises on our border and abroad, I’m thrilled to chair this body to evaluate and improve all of our legislative fast-track procedures,” he said.
