Rules Committee Adopts Structure Rule for HJ Res 124

As I suggested Saturday, the House Rules Committee met this evening to develop the rule for the consideration of HJ  Res 124, the FY 2015 Continuing Resolution. The meeting had originally been scheduled for last week but was postponed at the request of President Obama so that the language supporting the training of Syrian rebel forces that also opposed the actions of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) could be added to the CR.

The Committee adopted a structure rule for the consideration of the bill as introduced (with a minor correcting amendment added to the existing language). The rule provides for a six hour debate of an amendment proposed by Rep. McKeon (R,CA), the Chair of the House Armed Services Committee. That amendment would provide the assistance to “appropriately vetted Syrian groups and individuals”.

This will be the only amendment that the structured rule would allow to be offered. The rule (H Res 722) will probably be debated tomorrow afternoon with the debate on the amendment and the two votes coming on Wednesday. Both the amendment and the bill will almost certainly pass in the House on Wednesday and in the Senate on Thursday.