The GOP Convention Rules Committee; Due Process?

The GOP Convention Rules Committee; Due Process?

The news media is reporting a so called dust up at the beginning of the GOP Convention. For the uninformed it sounds as though it was serious. It was not. It was a last gasp publicity stunt by the #nevertrump group of political elites. Here is how the process works:

·       The Rules Committee is responsible for crafting the official rules of the Republican Party, including the rules that govern the Republican National Convention. It is different from the RNC Standing Committee on Rules, which can be read about here

·       The Rules Committee consists of 112 members with one male delegate and one female delegate from each state, territory, and Washington, D.C. They are elected at state conventions.

·       The committee met for a marathon session on July 14, 2016, and passed several significant rules changes—including clarifications on the issue of binding and changes to Rule 40. Read more about the July 14 meeting here. The 2016 rules package was approved on the convention floor on July, 18, 2016, which can be read about here.

The Rules Committee is responsible for crafting the official rules of the Republican Party, including the rules that govern the Republican National Convention. It is different from the RNC Standing Committee on Rules, which can be read about here.

According to the Counsel to the Convention Rules Committee here are the essential facts:

·       The rules committee met for a marathon session starting at 8 a.m. and adjourning at midnight with the final vote on all the rules.

·       Of the 112 delegates there were 25 that offered up changes to the standard (historical rules) and not all of these were the “nevertrump” people.

·       Each rule (and suggested changes) were debated and voted on in small blocks for efficiency.

·       At the end of the night, the official rules were complete with the caveat that any member or group of members can file a minority report before presenting the rules to the whole convention. None were written or communicated.