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Washington • Taking a cue from the tea party, House Republicans plan to require that every bill include a line justifying its constitutionality.
Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, announced the proposed rule change with other leading members of the transition team preparing for the Republican takeover in January.
"It will require that every bill that's filed have a statement of constitutionality," he said. "And it will give an opportunity for a challenge to the constitutionality that would result in a debate."
Bishop said the debate would take place before the House discusses the merits of the bill and there would be no vote on a bill's constitutionality.
The idea gained steam in the recent midterm elections, primarily through tea party activists, who argue that Congress has strayed far from the Founding Fathers' intent on a limited government.
House leaders were expected to send a memo to members explaining the rule as early as Thursday, along with guidelines on how to comply.
Bishop said the goal is to get past broad pronouncements and zero in on the specific power enumerated in the Constitution.
The House will vote on the proposed rule changes when the new Congress convenes Jan. 5. Among them would be a major shift in schedule that would involve at least one full week away from Washington each month. The Republicans also plan to slash the office budget of each member and committee by 5 percent, which would save about $25 million, and require that any bill be publicly accessible for three days before a vote.