The Word: Boehner Rule
Definition: The "Boehner Rule" is not
a formal rule of the House of Representatives, but rather a
procedural technique used by the Speaker of the House to bring
legislation to the floor for a vote.
History: The "Hastert Rule," named for former Speaker of
the House Dennis Hastert, is a procedural technique that
Republicans have used to bring legislation to floor only if it has
the support of the majority of House Republicans. The current
Speaker of the House, John Boehner, has at times abandoned the
Hastert Rule in order to pass legislation that a majority of his
Republican caucus would not support. On at least three
occasions (2012 fiscal cliff vote, Hurricane Sandy Relief bill, and
the Violence Against Women Act), Speaker Boehner has used a new
procedural technique that has been dubbed the "Boehner
Rule" which basically allows the Senate to pass their bill
first. Once the bill is passed by the Senate, Speaker Boehner calls
the bill up for
