The new food-stamp rules will make your head spin

Much of the burden for determining which items can or can't be purchased falls to the best judgment of store clerks...

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/2026/01/snap-soda-ban-food-stamps/685637/ 

 

Republicans invoke ‘nuclear option’ in push to change Senate rules - The Washington Post

"It's true that we put some sand in the gears on purpose," Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) said on the Senate floor. "That is what minority parties are supposed to do. That is how the United States Senate is supposed to work. And the way you untangle that is through the hard work of negotiating across the aisle — and they just didn't want to do it."…

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/09/11/republicans-invoke-nuclear-option-push-change-senate-rules/

Showing solidarity: Senator shares why he walked out of Emil Bove meeting

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqellXXhe6k

House Republicans Force Rule Change To Prevent Democrats From Investigating Trump

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vsy1ML2tzho

 

Republicans trying to change rules to avoid House vote on Trump tariffs | Trump tariffs | The Guardian

The sleight of hand was embedded in procedural rule legislation setting up debate on a separate issue: the budget resolution that is central to Trump's agenda. 

If adopted, the rule would in effect stall until October a Democratic effort to force a floor vote on a resolution disapproving of the national emergency that Trump declared last week to justify the tariffs. This mirrors a similar tactic used previously to shield Trump's earlier tariffs…

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/09/trump-tariffs-house-republicans-rules 

 

‘Be careful about this’: Warnings abound as GOP considers writing off tax cuts - POLITICO

If lawmakers adopt the change, it would essentially make it appear as though extending current tax rates, set to expire at the end of the year, would cost nothing rather than the roughly $4 trillion over 10 years that nonpartisan scorekeepers estimate. 

But while some Republicans argue that continuing current tax rates shouldn't be counted toward the deficit, critics of the maneuver — including prominent GOP budget experts — say that it would be a recipe for disaster, a fiscal Pandora's box that once opened could be used to forever excuse huge ongoing deficits...

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/03/12/gop-considers-writing-off-tax-cuts-00227219

 

Mike Johnson protected, diversity office scrapped in new House rules

House Republicans on Wednesday released their proposed rules package for the 119th Congress, which includes several notable changes to the rules that governed the lower chamber for the last two years…

https://www.axios.com/2025/01/01/house-republican-rules-diversity-motion-to-vacate

 

New Georgia rules let local boards withhold election certification

The new rule essentially makes the certification of election results discretionary, said Democratic state representative Sam Park at a press conference outside of the hearing room at the Georgia capitol. 

"These are Maga certification rules, and they're in direct conflict with Georgia law, which states in multiple places that local elections board officials shall perform their duties, meaning their duties are mandatory, not discretionary," Park said...

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/aug/06/georgia-local-election-boards-allowed-withhold-vote-certification

Parents sue over Florida’s book challenge rules - POLITICO

The group suing contends that this policy, as executed by the state, excludes parents "opposed to censorship" because only books local officials deny removing can be appealed...

https://www.politico.com/news/2024/06/06/florida-book-challenge-lawsuit-00162075

Opinion | Whoops! The GOP accidentally admits tax cuts don’t pay for themselves. - The Washington Post

Under the new rules package, the budgetary requirements are more one-sided — in favor of tax cuts. Going forward, tax cuts do not need to be offset with any sort of savings elsewhere in the budget. They can add trillions to the debt. No problem. 

But this is not true of spending programs. Spending program increases still have to be paid for...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/01/12/gop-tax-cuts-rules-package/

Progressives eagerly await their chance to harass McCarthy - POLITICO

Republicans' new rules allow just one member, regardless of party, to force a floor vote on deposing the speaker. And liberal Democrats, some of whom are part of the progressive "Squad," are warning they have no problem with using the move against McCarthy, even if they don't expect it to succeed...

https://www.politico.com/news/2023/01/12/progressives-gleefully-game-out-future-votes-to-boot-mccarthy-00077525

House adopts new rules Democrats decry as a ‘ransom note to America’

Democrats denounced the legislation as a rules package for "Maga extremists" that would favor wealthy corporations over workers, undermine congressional ethics standards and lead to further restrictions on abortion services. "These rules are not a serious attempt at governing. They're essentially a ransom note to America from the extreme right," Representative Jim McGovern said...

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jan/09/mccarthy-house-speaker-moderate-republicans

Found this in Holland : funny

https://www.reddit.com/r/funny/comments/tbwviw/found_this_in_holland/

Senate expert to brief Democrats on potential rules changes | TheHill

"A set of arcane Senate rules are being used as an excuse not to act. This cannot stand. We must change the rules to allow a simple majority of this body ... to pass laws that will protect the right to vote and protect American democracy," Hassan said during a speech from the Senate floor on Thursday night…https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/586309-senate-democrats-to-get-briefed-on-potential-rules-changes

China Wants to Rule the World by Controlling the Rules - The Atlantic

…The battle over rules is really about power—which country has it, and which country can project it. The U.S. has held this power for decades; the Chinese now want it for themselves…

https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2021/12/china-wants-rule-world-controlling-rules/620890/

In debt-ceiling fight, McConnell makes up new rule 'out of whole cloth'

…Congressional Republicans are threatening to hurt Americans on purpose. The GOP is prepared to crash the economy as part of a pointless political gambit…

https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/debt-ceiling-fight-mcconnell-makes-new-rule-out-whole-cloth-n1279641

Six Rules That Will Define Our Second Pandemic Winter - The Atlantic

The pandemic keeps changing, but these principles can guide your thinking through the seasons to come...

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2021/09/six-ways-think-about-pandemic-now/620129/

Debate commission co-chair defends muting microphones: 'Not a new rule' | TheHill

The Commission on Presidential Debates’ co-chair on Tuesday defended the panel’s decision to mute the presidential candidates' microphones during their opponent’s two-minute opening answers to topics. Frank Fahrenkopf told Brian Kilmeade on Fox News Radio that the commission did not change the rules of the debate with its Tuesday announcement on muting microphones. He argued that President Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden’s campaigns already agreed that each candidate’s opening statement on each topic would be uninterrupted. “It’s not a new rule,” Fahrenkopf said. “The campaigns agreed early on, going back to June of this year when we announced what the formats were going to be for the … debates. And they both agreed to live with it.

https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/521950-debate-commission-co-chair-defends-muting-microphones-not-a-new-rule

Vatican causes chaos by invalidating baptism formula | National Catholic Reporter

For centuries, the baptismal formula in the Roman Catholic Church has been: "I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." Most Protestant churches have also used this formula. Toward the end of the 20th century, however, a few baptismal ministers began tinkering with the formula. A few ministers have said "We baptize" to bring out the familial or community dimension of the baptism. For example, a priest might say, "In the name of the father and of the mother, of the godfather and of the godmother, of the grandparents, of the family members, of the friends, in the name of the community we baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." In June the congregation, which deals with doctrinal issues, ruled that a baptism was invalid if the minister said, "We baptize" instead of "I baptize.…"...

https://www.ncronline.org/news/theology/signs-times/vatican-causes-chaos-invalidating-baptism-formula

Presidential debate rules may change--but Trump signals he won?t accept the changes - The Washington Post

President Trump and his top aides signaled Thursday that they would reject any changes to the presidential debate format, as members of the commission in charge of the matchups zeroed in on potential adjustments aimed at avoiding a repeat of Tuesday’s chaotic faceoff between Trump and Democrat Joe Biden. The changes — which could be announced as early as this weekend — would be aimed at reining in behavior like Trump’s on Tuesday and making the debate more orderly. But the looming dispute with the Trump camp casts a cloud of uncertainty over the remaining debates, including Wednesday’s session between the vice-presidential nominees.....
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-biden-debate-rule-changes/2020/10/01/f755aa86-03f0-11eb-a2db-417cddf4816a_story.html