Comer and McGovern Have Absurd Battle About ‘What an Appropriate Rule Is’ in Committee Hearing: ‘A Rule That Is Appropriate’
On Tuesday, Reps. Jim McGovern and James Comer engaged in an absurd back-and-forth that can be best described as a bizarro Socratic dialogue more befitting Abbott and Costello than ancient Athens.
During a meeting of the House Rules Committee, the two discussed what constitutes “an appropriate rule” governing debate on pending legislation to address crime. At one point McGovern questioned Comer about his request for “an appropriate rule” from the committee.
Comer did not offer an opinion on whether the committee should issue an open rule – where lawmakers may offer amendments to bills – or a closed rule, which functionally prohibits amendments.
Here is that exchange, which features an appropriate conclusion:
MCGOVERN: Chairman Comer, you said in your opening statement and in the letter that you sent to the Rules Committee that you requested an appropriate rule for this legislation. What is that?
COMER: Appropriate rule that we hold criminals accountable.
MCGOVERN: Is it an open rule or a closed rule or amendments or what? What is an appropriate rule? What are you asking for?
COMER: An appropriate rule.
MCGOVERN: Well, what is the definition of that?
COMER: A rule that is appropriate. This is a rule, this is the Rules Committee. We want an appropriate rule. You go on the floor where we can do our job and hold criminals accountable.
MCGOVERN: What is your opinion, since you put it in your letter and you put it in your opening statement? What is your opinion of what an appropriate rule is? I mean, would an appropriate rule be a close rule?
COMER: Whatever the Rules Committee deems appropriate.
MCGOVERN: Yeah. Well, you know, then, I mean, I because, I asked the question because you used the word “appropriate.” You could’ve just said, I request a rule, but you said an appropriate rule. And maybe, maybe the chair of the Rules Committee can tell us what an appropriate rule is. I’m not, I, my Republican friends like to use that, but I don’t– no one can define it for me. I mean, I don’t know what. Maybe it’s hiding behind one of the statues in the Capitol or something and we can go look for it. But I’m just curious. I mean, you’re asking us to bring a bill to the floor. You asked for an appropriate rule, but you can’t define what appropriate is.
COMER: I mean, with all due respect, Mr. McGovern, this is a very serious issue. And I think you’re trying to make a joke out of it.
