The Republican rebellion over a new House speaker was a good thing, and it looks like it's already paying off.
In early January, a group of 20 conservative House members held up the election of Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., as speaker of the House, citing several fundamental concerns about how the legislative body functions.
These conservatives were able to extract several concessions from Republican leadership, including new rules that would allow for a longer review period before a scheduled vote, tighter controls on future taxes and spending, and an easier path to deposing a House speaker.
One of the changes that's had an immediate impact is the inclusion of more members of the House Freedom Caucus, made up of some of the chamber's most conservative lawmakers, on the House Rules Committee.
Under the so-called modified open rule, lawmakers were able to submit amendments to legislation pertaining to President Joe Biden's withdrawal of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve when the bill was debated on the House floor.
The change effectively gives more power to rank-and-file House members who don't merely have to accept what comes out of the chamber's committees.
In a sense, the change further "Democratizes" the House.
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