House advances intel bill, three spending bills

But House Rules Committee Chairman David Dreier (R-Calif.) rejected these arguments and said the rule is far more open than any put forward by Democrats when they ran the House in the last Congress.

{mosads}”I’m really surprised to see Democratic opposition to this rule,” Dreier said. He added that the rule allows seven Democratic amendments to the intelligence bill and just two for Republicans, and allows an open amendment process for the three spending bills.

Dreier said Republicans would have welcomed such an inclusive rule when they were in the minority. “I feel very sanguine in saying that we would not only embrace but we would enthusiastically support that rule,” he said.

The rule covers H.R. 5743, the Intelligence Authorization Act, which the House is trying to complete by the end of Thursday. It also covers three spending bills: H.R. 5854, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act; H.R. 5855, Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act; and H.R. 5325, Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act.

The House is trying to approve the first of those spending bills by Friday.