Seven discharge petitions have hit the 218-signature threshold since 2023, as many as the previous four decades combined. Here's how the maneuver works.

An unwritten rule that lets a Speaker block bills his own party doesn't fully back is the reason this Congress has set a modern record for forcing floor votes without him.

A discharge petition lets a House majority bypass its own leadership and force a floor vote, but it takes 218 signatures to even try. The tool sat mostly unused for two decades until 2025.