ABSTRACT
James Madison, sometimes called the father of Congress, envisioned the institution as the place where representatives from across the vast and varied nation would voice the diverse ideas and interests of their constituents. Legislating under the Speaker’s order undermines the House’s policymaking capability, weakening the chamber vis-a-vis the Senate and weakening Congress vis-a-vis the president and the courts. Madison believed that serving as a representative in Congress needed to include the opportunity to be involved in the entire legislative process. If this thinking was just a long-dead, 18th-century relic, there would be no need to be concerned that the narrowing of the scope of congressional representation in the House was undermining the legitimacy of the institution. Republican party leaders choose the chairs of committees, and Democratic Party leaders have influence over these choices for their own party. Major legislation usually passes on a nearly party-line vote, and many other votes result in extreme party unity.
