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Press Release
Speaker Johnson Changing House Rules to Avoid Signalgate Accountability
April 29, 2025

House to Vote on Rule Change on Tuesday

Washington, D.C. — On Monday evening, the House Rules Committee, which is controlled by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), advanced a rule that would prevent the House of Representatives from investigating Signalgate. The proposed rule, which will receive a full House floor vote on Tuesday afternoon, would effectively prevent House members from bringing any Resolutions of Inquiry (ROI) to the floor until October. House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Adam Smith (D-WA) filed an ROI directing the Trump administration to turn over communications related to Signalgate and needs just two Republican committee members to support him in order to force a full House floor vote on the resolution. Absent Armed Services reporting out the resolution, or the Speaker changing House rules, the ROI would force a full House floor vote by the end of next week.

The following is a statement from Demand Progress Executive Director Sean Vitka:

“Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz threatened servicemembers and national security by discussing sensitive, imminent war plans on unsecured channels targeted by foreign governments. Instead of demanding accountability, which even Republicans are calling for, Speaker Johnson is trying to change House rules to provide cover for the Trump administration and prevent the American people from getting answers about what happened. House members should oppose Speaker Johnson’s shameless scheme to vote away the House’s constitutional responsibility and right to conduct oversight, all so he can cover up Hegseth and Waltz’s tracks.”

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