Rep. Thomas Massie Removed From Rules Committee

Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., has been removed from the House Rules Committee, following a closed-door meeting and vote by the House Republican conference on a new committee roster Tuesday morning.

Massie, a hard-line conservative with libertarian leanings, was the lone Republican vote against Speaker Mike Johnson's, R-La., reelection bid earlier this month.

The news of Massie's removal was reported by self-described political analyst Dominic Michael Tripi on social platform X.

In the past, Massie has reportedly said he would step down from the House panel voluntarily after voting "no" against Johnson's reelection Jan. 3.

The Kentucky Republican's removal from the influential committee could make it easier for Johnson to bring legislation to the floor. In the previous Congress, the speaker reportedly often bypassed the panel and was reliant on Democrat votes to get legislation passed.

According to Axios, Massie's replacement, Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Va., is a deferential member of the House Freedom Caucus who generally does not join in when his colleagues buck conference leadership.

Griffith told the outlet he is a "rules guy," and "if the rules are set up in accordance with the House rules, precedent and Jefferson's manual, then I don't look at the policy, I look at the rules."

"Step out of line of the general policy of parliamentary history in this country and elsewhere, then I might have a question or two to raise," he said, adding Massie was "pretty much a rules guy too."

Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., was appointed by Johnson on Tuesday as the Rules Committee's new chair. She replaces retired Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Texas.

"For two decades, Dr. Foxx has been a stalwart in the House and a leader in multiple policy areas," Johnson said in a statement. "Her drive and personality have established her as among the most universally respected members of our Republican Conference. Dr. Foxx is an example of how Members should serve, and our Conference will benefit greatly with her at the helm of the influential Rules Committee."

In a response on X, Massie said of his exit, "I volunteered to step aside if the Speaker wanted to place someone else on the Rules Committee and he chose that option. This was not retribution for my vote against him," adding, "I look forward to continuing my work on the Judiciary and Transportation committees."

The panel serves as the last stop for major legislation before it is considered by the full House on the chamber floor.

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