Some key Republicans are seeking to scrap the party's 1,500-page rule book at the Republican National Convention in July in favor of simpler procedures in hopes of beating back arcane regulations that could block Donald Trump from winning the presidential nomination.
"To make this convention more transparent, I will advocate, at the RNC Standing Rules Committee meeting in April, adoption of Robert’s Rules of Order to replace the 1,500-page U.S. House rules to govern the convention," Solomon Yue, a party member from Oregon, told
The Washington Times on Wednesday.
The committee's rules are based on the parliamentary handbook of the U.S. House of Representatives, according to the report.
Helen Van Etten, a Kansas committee member who sits on the Standing Rules Committee, said she would back the change.
"Our party’s grass-roots have been using [Robert's] to conduct business at the county party, state party and national party levels for many years," she said.
"Unlike the 1,500-page U.S. House rules, there are in Robert's no surprises that will prevent the kind of chaos media are predicting."
News organizations have been devoting extensive coverage to the possibility of a brokered convention in Cleveland in July, as Trump continues to win state contests and garner delegates.
While any changes would not necessarily guarantee Trump the nomination, advocates told the Times that it would become tougher for party officials to forge secret deals to "steal" the nomination from the New York developer.
RNC Chairman Reince Priebus has called for greater transparency in the nominating process, though he has taken no position on any rules changes, according to the report.
Further, thousands of delegates at the convention would have the final say on any changes despite the decision of the 168 committee members.