HOLLYWOOD, Fla. — The Republican National Committee’s Standing Rules Committee heard only one proposed amendment to the RNC rules Thursday and it failed on a voice vote.
The rules governing the RNC Convention remains a controversial issue, since the Romney camp pushed through Rule 40b at the 2012 convention that stated a GOP presidential nominee needed to support of at least eight state delegations. The previous threshold was five and the rule precluded then-Congressman Ron Paul from being nominated.
Rules Committee member Solomon Yue, Oregon National Committeeman, proposed to amend RNC Rule 30 after two other members withdrew their proposed amendments.
Yue’s amendment to Rule 30 would replace the RNC’s use of the rules of the U.S. House of Representatives, which guides the organization at their conventions, with Roberts Rules of Order, instead.
Those supporting such a rule change claim it would prevent establishment party insiders from pushing through a candidate of their choice at later ballot during a contested convention. Over a handful of RNC members spoke out against the change, mostly saying any changes to the party’s rules would cause a public uproar.
Yue argued many delegates to the convention are unfamiliar to the House Rules and often find themselves at the mercy of the chair that is the Speaker of the House, citing an instance in 2012 when then-Speaker [crscore]John Boehner[/crscore] did not recognize his delegation over a parliamentary procedure misunderstanding.
The amendment up for discussion in #RNC Rules Cmte is this-would change convention to Roberts Rules instead of House pic.twitter.com/NuqzikVDpl
— Marti Hause (@MHause) April 21, 2016
Opponents of the amendment, like Georgia National Committeeman Randy Evans told the membership, ”We shouldn’t change the rules in the middle of the game.”
Enid Mickelson, Utah National Committeewoman, blasted the idea saying she knows and that operating the RNC business under Roberts Rules would make them worse off.
Washington State National Committeeman Jeff Kent warned, “We’re going to be accused of rigging the game no matter what we do.”
Mickelson agreed telling the membership, “This is not the time for us to suggest major changes or even minor changes to the rules.”
RNC General Counsel John Ryder also cautioned, “We have a system that we know works.” Ryder later asked if this “is the convention you want to test out new operating rules?”
