A woman booked a three-night stay at an Airbnb but became anxious after receiving a lengthy list of strict rules from the owner, including restrictions on cooking and eating, which were not disclosed upfront. Many responses online considered the rules excessive and unreasonable, especially the restrictions on food and pet behavior, leading to concerns about the host's attitude towards guests. The woman feels these rules will prevent her from relaxing during her stay.
The House Ethics Committee found that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez impermissibly accepted gifts related to her 2021 Met Gala appearance, including free admission for her partner and underpayment for attire, but she intends to remedy the remaining amounts. The committee also reviewed allegations against Rep. Mike Kelly regarding stock trades by his wife but found no evidence of intentional insider trading, though it advised Kelly to divest from certain shares.
The House Ethics Committee found that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez underpaid for her 2021 Met Gala attendance and ordered her to pay an additional $3,000, concluding the matter once the payments are made, with no sanctions beyond this requirement.
Former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, who withdrew his bid to become Attorney General in a potential Trump administration, remains eligible to serve in the 119th Congress despite resigning from the 118th. Gaetz has not taken the oath for the upcoming session, and a special election to fill his expected vacancy has not been scheduled. If Gaetz decides to serve, he could be sworn in, as House rules require members to record their presence at the start of a new session. Florida's election laws and the timing of a special election remain uncertain.
House Speaker Mike Johnson is under pressure from some Republican members to restrict transgender Rep-elect Sarah McBride from using women's bathrooms at the Capitol. Rep. Nancy Mace has proposed a bill to enforce this restriction, which she claims Johnson agreed to include in House rules, though he has not confirmed this publicly. The issue has sparked heated debate, with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene threatening a physical altercation over the matter. Critics, including Rep. Maxwell Frost, argue the focus should be on substantive issues rather than culture wars.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene broke House rules by wearing a MAGA hat during President Biden's State of the Union address, prompting potential ethics complaints. She attempted to engage Biden and provoke a mention of a murder by an undocumented immigrant, leading to a controversial response from the president. Despite likely facing repercussions, Greene accused Biden of failing to protect the U.S.-Mexico border in response to the complaint.
BuzzFeed Community shares bizarre house rules they encountered while visiting other people's homes, including reusing bathwater, no internet after 8 p.m., eating quietly on plastic-covered furniture, and using aluminum foil instead of toilet paper.
Reddit users share bizarre house rules they've encountered at other people's homes, including no talking during dinner due to a mischievous spirit, no smoking or vaping, sitting on a dining room chair instead of the couch, finishing drinks if a cat catches a beer pong ball, no radio waves after dark, kissing the door if slammed, kitchen hours, no magic allowed, guests eating last, and more.
A husband's Taylor Swift tip jar has gone viral after he implemented a rule where his wife has to pay a quarter for every mention of Taylor Swift or her boyfriend, Travis Kelce. The husband, fed up with the constant chatter about the pop star, taped a sign with the new house rules on a glass jar. The wife, who became a Swiftie during Taylor's "Eras" tour, has received support from fellow fans in the comments, with one jokingly saying that 25 cents is a small price to pay to spread the gospel.
House Republicans are considering expanding the powers of Speaker Pro Tem Patrick McHenry as they struggle to reach a consensus on a new Speaker. Moderate Republicans are in favor of giving McHenry the authority to "reopen business" while the search for a permanent Speaker continues. However, some Republicans oppose this move, fearing it would diminish the pressure on the conference to select a new Speaker. McHenry's current powers are limited, according to House rules, but he has already taken actions that go beyond managing the election. The discussion around expanding McHenry's powers has been influenced by the ongoing crisis in the Middle East.
Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz has expressed a willingness to negotiate with Democrats on a series of proposed reforms, including reducing the influence of money in politics, banning stock trading by members of Congress, implementing term limits for lawmakers and Supreme Court justices, and establishing an ethics code for Supreme Court justices. While some of these reforms may face constitutional hurdles, Gaetz's offer presents an opportunity for bipartisan collaboration and the potential for meaningful change in Congress. Democrats should consider taking him up on his offer, even if they suspect it may not be entirely genuine, as it could expose Republican resistance to popular reforms and potentially lead to their implementation.
Tennessee Democratic Rep. Justin Jones has filed a federal lawsuit challenging his expulsion from the state House in April and the House rules that restrict lawmakers' floor comments. Jones argues that Republicans violated his free speech rights by repeatedly blocking him from speaking during debates and infringed upon his constitutional due process rights during the expulsion proceedings. The lawsuit seeks to have the expulsion and House rules declared unconstitutional, restore Jones' benefits and seniority, and award damages and costs. Republicans defended the expulsions as necessary to maintain order and promote civility, respect, and accountability.
During a House hearing on the "weaponization" of the FBI, Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan denied Democrats' requests to receive the testimony of one of the GOP's self-described "whistleblowers," prompting Rep. Dan Goldman to confront him with the actual rules. Jordan claimed the minority party isn't entitled to all evidence collected from whistleblowers, but Democrats argued that the law has not determined they are whistleblowers. Democrats have also questioned the credibility of the whistleblowers, noting that one of them expressed support for the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection.
Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene was silenced and barred from speaking at a House Homeland Security Committee hearing by Chairman Mark Green of Tennessee after she broke House rules by calling Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas a "liar" while questioning him on the Biden administration's border policies. Greene complained to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy over the incident and described herself as "surprised and angered" by Mr Green's decision to actually enforce the House rules to her detriment.
Rep. Charlie Baum, the lone Republican to vote against the expulsion of three Tennessee Democratic lawmakers, said he voted nay because he wanted to give the now ousted members another opportunity to talk through the House rules. Baum preferred to work with the lawmakers in committees and subcommittees to come to a clearer understanding of the House procedures and ensure their constituents would continue to be represented by their elected officials.
