House GOP seeks to focus on security plan instead of Trump

News coverage of the event largely ignored the contents of Ryan’s proposal, instead focusing on his statement that Donald Trump’s attacks on a Hispanic judge constitute the “textbook definition of a racist comment”-but that he’d still be voting for Trump anyway”.

Plus, the Powerhouse Roundtable debates the week in politics, with ABC News contributor and Democratic strategist Donna Brazile, Republican strategist and pollster Kellyanne Conway, ABC News political analyst Matthew Dowd, editor and publisher of The Nation Katrina vanden Heuvel, and ABC News contributor and Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol.

“Hundreds, thousands of amendments are going to be reviewed in advance by the Rules Committee”, the New York Republican told reporters on Capitol Hill.

Rep. John Fleming, R-La., said the issue is not about whether amendments pertinent to spending bills are being banned, but about whether Democrats are trying to disrupt the GOP-controlled House’s ability to do the basic work of funding the government.

Under an open amendment process, lawmakers do not have to file amendments to the Rules Committee or pre-print them in the Congressional Record, which allows for the element of surprise on the floor.

So far, the House has passed just one appropriations bill: the military construction and veterans’ affairs bills. “I think the Speaker’s been patient, I think the majority’s been patient”. “The LGBT amendment was a case in point”.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif) came out swinging Thursday, saying Republicans have surrendered to Donald Trump’s “dangerous discrimination agenda”.

“I believe that it should never be used to thwart a majority member’s opportunity to offer amendments that they believe are appropriate”, said Rep. Trent Franks, R-Ariz.

The Kentucky Republican said he is concerned that the Rules Committee will prevent votes on conservative issues, such as his amendment targeting “perks” for former speakers of the House. “I’m for leaving them guessing”.

“Democrats did the same thing, and frankly, sort of drove us to doing this”, Cole said.

Wednesday it was announced that there would be structured rules for the rest of the year’s appropriations process, which stoked anxieties within conservative ranks and upset Democrats.