New House GOP Rules Strip Leadership From Indicted Members

Top House Republicans in the next Congress will have to step down from their leadership positions if they announce a run for higher office — or if they're indicted. The GOP conference adopted new internal rules for the 116th Congress, including Rep. Elise Stefanik's proposal on leadership.

The provision from Stefanik, R-N.Y., will prevent a repeat of the situation that Rep. Luke Messer, R-Ind., was in last year, when he served as the chairman of the Republican Policy Committee while also running for the Senate.

Stefanik said after the GOP conference meeting that the only two amendments adopted were hers and a proposal from Rep. Don Young of Alaska.

Young’s proposal allows the dean of the House to serve on the Republican Steering Committee, provided he or she is a Republican. Young himself is the dean, or the longest-serving House member, so his provision applies only to himself.

The rules package adopted by Republicans also includes official penalties for members facing certain legal troubles. It requires any GOP member facing indictment “for a felony for which a sentence of two or more years imprisonment may be imposed” to “submit his or her resignation from any such committees to the House promptly.” The rule also applies to any House Republican leadership member, requiring them to “step aside” if indicted for a felony.

When asked how the rules would affect the two House Republicans already facing indictment, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. — who will be the minority leader next year — said he wasn’t sure yet. Reps. Chris Collins, R-N.Y., and Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., were both indicted in August.

Republicans rejected a proposal from Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., that would have allowed committee members to choose their chairman or ranking member, shifting the power away from party leadership.