Donald Norcross

House members from both parties are using discharge petitions at record rates to bypass Speaker Mike Johnson and force votes on bills he won't bring to the floor. An eighth discharge petition in the 119th Congress reached the 218 signatures needed to force a vote, with a unionization bill garnering support from 211 Democrats and 7 Republicans. This represents over 20% of all successful discharge petitions since 1935, indicating unprecedented frustration with Johnson's control of the legislative agenda.