Washington, D.C.—U.S. Congressman Steve King today offered an amendment to stop secret voting in the House Rules Committee.  Ironically, King had to ask the Rules Committee for permission to offer his amendment on the House floor because the ruling party decided that no amendment could be offered on the House floor unless it was approved in advance by the Rules Committee.

"It is a travesty against Americans that in order to stop secret voting by the Rules Committee I have to ask that very same Rules Committee for permission to offer my amendment on the House floor," said King.  "Going up against the Rules Committee to ask them to stop their secret voting is like having to ask the opposing coach if it is okay to run a play against their team."

King offered his amendment to H.Res. 202, a bill which funds the committees in the House of Representatives.  His amendment requires the Committee on Rules to make their recorded votes public so that every American can see how Representatives voted.

When the House was under Republican control in the 109th Congress, the Rules Committee was required to make their recorded votes public in their committee reports.  When the Democrats took control of the House they changed this little known rule to allow their Rules Committee to have secret votes. Their change means that the Rules Committee does not have to make recorded votes public information in their committee reports. Typically, House committee reports inform the public about which amendments were considered and how their elected representatives voted.

"Nancy Pelosi and her comrades changed the House Rules to allow secret voting in the Rules Committee.  When they took over they promised better government, but instead they made it harder for the American public to know what their elected representatives are up to," said King,  "We need more sunshine, not secret backroom votes."