It's not a good idea to give the Rules Committee the power to block amendments to the appropriations bills. For example, consider last week when Representatives Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Walter Jones (R-NC) tried to offer an amendment to the legislative branch appropriations bill to stop the use of taxpayer funding for private offices of ex-speakers. The Rules Committee did not make this amendment in order, so there was no vote on ending taxpayer subsidies for ex-speakers. For more on this...













