WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Assistant Speaker Katherine Clark (MA-5), released the below statement on the Rules package passed by the 117^th Congress: 

“Today, the House of Representatives approved a Rules package that embodies our commitment to transparency, inclusion, and progress. It is a blueprint of our values and ensures the House is ready to enact real solutions for the most pressing challenges facing the American people. 

“The new rules package reflects our belief that diversity is not simply a talking point, but our greatest strength as policymakers and as a nation. We make permanent the Office of Diversity and Inclusion to better ensure our workforce reflects the American people. We require House Committees to review how they include diverse voices and perspectives in their work, and we honor all gender identities by changing pronouns and familial relationships in the rules to be gender neutral. 

“We are also addressing persistent inequity in America head-on. We establish a Select Committee on Economic Disparity and Fairness in Growth to combat the crisis of income and wealth disparity in America. We empower Congress to respond to the dual threats of the climate crisis and the COVID pandemic by exempting bills that tackle these challenges from budget rules— because when it comes to both of these crises, there is no greater cost than inaction. 

“And finally, we enhance ethical standards for members, protects whistleblowers, and upholds truth to amplify the voices of the American people above all else.

“With the approval of these rules, we have set the stage for action, accountability, and real progress, and we stand ready to get to work on behalf of the American people.”