House Rules Committee adopts rule for HR 7148 after rejecting amendments on ICE, war powers and LIHEAP

The House Rules Committee on Tuesday approved a rule to govern floor consideration of HR 7148 and related measures, adopting the motion from the gentleman from Virginia and voting 9–4 to report the rule to the full House.

Representative Griffith moved the rule, which—according to the text read into the record—waived points of order, provided one hour of general debate to be equally divided and controlled by the chair and the panel's ranking minority member or their designees, adopted the amendment printed in part A of the committee report as adopted, limited further amendments to those printed in part B (to be offered in the order printed and by designated members), and provided one motion to recommit. The rule also provided for consideration of HR 7147 (Department of Homeland Security appropriations) under a closed rule, and included instructions about engrossment and technical corrections.

Why it matters: The rule narrows which amendments may reach the House floor and sets debate parameters for the underlying spending and policy measures, shaping what issues members can press during floor consideration.

Committee debate and failed amendments

Ranking member Representative McGovern led a series of objections and offered multiple amendments seeking additional floor votes. McGovern said the rules committee "did not call for amendments" and criticized the limited amendment process as departing from ‘‘regular order.’’ He moved amendment number 3 (offered by Representative Keating) to bar use of funds to invade NATO or NATO-protected territory and urged colleagues to support it as a way to reassure allies after troubling public comments by the president. That amendment was defeated after a voice vote and subsequent roll call; the committee ruled the noes had it and the amendment was not agreed to.

McGovern also moved amendment number 69 (offered by Representative Meeks) to prohibit use of funds for nondefensive military action without specific statutory authorization or a declaration of war. He framed the amendment as defending Congress’s constitutional war powers. The amendment lost on a recorded vote reported as 4 yeas, 9 nays.

Members pressed for additional amendments related to immigration enforcement. Representative McGovern sought to make a long package of Democratic amendments in order—many aimed at reining in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)—but the committee rejected that package on a recorded vote reported as 4 yeas, 9 nays.

Representative Scanlon offered amendment number 58 to reallocate $70,000,000 from an HHS administrative account to the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), calling LIHEAP "not a luxury. It's a lifeline." The amendment failed on a recorded vote reported as 4 yeas, 9 nays.

Representative Scanlon also moved amendment number 28 (sponsored by Representative Bacon) to provide $100,000,000 for public telecommunications facilities and move the program to HHS; that measure was likewise defeated in committee.

Representative Leisure Fernandez pressed for immigration-related changes as well. She offered amendment number 52 to increase ICE operations and simultaneously provide $340,000,000 to compensate U.S. citizens whom she said were wrongfully arrested and detained by DHS agents. In arguing for the amendment she cited reporting that "there had been at least 170" U.S. citizens detained as of October 2025; the committee rejected that amendment on a recorded vote reported as 4 yeas, 9 nays.

Contentious exchanges and procedural questions

Several members questioned a newly attached "domestic energy council" described in the rule text. Representative McGovern and Representative Neguse said the council's membership, mandate, and meeting schedule were unclear; Neguse described the attachment as resembling a press release and urged transparency about whether it would produce enforceable outcomes or merely political messaging.

Direct quotes from the record capture the tone of debate. Representative McGovern said, "If this is your definition of regular order, let me just say that's interesting." Representative Scanlon warned that cutting LIHEAP funds would "throw American families under the bus." Representative Leisure Fernandez said of ICE conduct, "ICE officers are not immune," and urged the committee to back amendments that would limit detentions of U.S. citizens.

Outcome and next steps

After the final roll-call vote, the chair said she would manage the rule for the majority and that the ranking member would manage it for the minority. The committee agreed to report the rule to the House by a 9–4 tally. The chair adjourned the meeting and said members might meet later the same day for additional hearings.

What the article does not assert

When members cited specific counts or events (for example, Representative Scanlon's reference to "nearly 200 Americans" detained and Representative Leisure Fernandez's reference to a death in Minnesota), those figures and incidents are presented here as claims made on the floor and were not independently verified by the transcript. Where the transcript records requests for additional detail (for example, the domestic energy council's membership and mandate), the committee did not provide clarifying information during the meeting.

The committee's action now sets the parameters under which the underlying bills will be considered on the House floor.