WASHINGTON (AP) – House Speaker Paul Ryan – who’s in charge of the GOP-run House – is cracking down on Democrats’ ability to win floor votes on hotly contested issues such as LGBT rights.
The move means Ryan is reneging on a promise to protect the rights of lawmakers to take on a wide range of issue when the House debates annual spending bills.
Why the about-face by the Wisconsin Republican?
Last month, when the House debated a spending bill, Democrats push through a plan to bar federal contractors from discriminating against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. Furious tea party Republicans then scuttled the overall bill.
Ryan is telling GOP colleagues that debate rules for upcoming spending bills will avoid a repeat of last month’s embarrassment.