New Speaker Vows to Share Power—a Tricky Proposition

New Speaker Vows to Share Power—a Tricky Proposition.When John Boehner takes over one of the most powerful jobs in Washington this week, he says his first order of business is to make himself less powerful.On Wednesday the new speaker of the House of Representatives plans to offer a package of rule changes that, he says, will give minority-party members more of a say and decentralize power. In short, Ohio Republican Mr. Boehner is promising he'll be a different figure from many speakers throughout history—from Republican Joseph Cannon a century ago to his immediate predecessor, Democrat Nancy Pelosi—who kept a tighter leash.But there's a reason so many speakers try to keep close control: It works."New speakers always say they want to have a more open process," says Rep. Anthony Weiner, a New York Democrat. "Then the sheer demands of making the trains run on time and getting things passed requires that you change your mind."How this tension is resolved—between Mr. Boehner's promises and the need to get things done—will help determine the success of the new Republican majority. The GOP is in a hurry to show that it's different, not just from Democrats but from its old self. Mr. Boehner himself was catapulted into a GOP leadership role in 2006 after a fund-raising scandal deposed then-majority leader Tom DeLay.Mr. Boehner now finds himself master of a Republican majority created by a group of newcomers whose hallmark is a restless cry for action. On issues from cutting spending to raising the government's debt ceiling, Mr. Boehner's burden will be letting his freshmen members vent while keeping the House on track.One of Wednesday's first votes could be Mr. Boehner's package of rule changes. Among them:

1.  Lawmakers will be required to vote on whether or not to raise the federal debt ceiling, a move sought by tea-party representatives. Current rules let the House automatically raise the limit when they pass a budget.
2. All legislation must be posted online 72 hours before going to the House floor to prevent party leaders from changing bills the night before House votes, as has been the practice over the years.Read the full story here.