Committees hold great power in US Congress, they not only write legislation but can also hold up private member bills such that they never get to the floor to be voted upon. Due to the rise of the career politician in the 20thC, committees began to be dominated by seniority rather than merit which allowed strong Committee heads to have incredible influence - to the point of obstinacy. Judge Smith 's Rules Committee was one such example.

It is unclear from Remini's book how it came about but the Rules Committee managed to get itself as independent from the Speaker of the House as well as the House of Representatives. It became a small unaccountable oligarchy inside the House.

The Rules Committee was promptly taken over by the Southern Democrats in the 1940s. Back then a major concern of the Southern Democrats was the civil rights legislation at the federal level. Judge Smith figured prominently in trying to get the Civil Rights Act of 1957, delayed, killed and made unpalatable to the Senate. He was out-manoeuvred by Sam Rayburn who was Speaker of the House.

In 1960 John F. Kennedy won the presidency over Richard Nixon. The House comprised 263 Democrats and 174 Republicans, which despite the majority the Democrats seem to have from the number, was not guaranteed. In the Civil Rights Act voting the Democrats split 50-50 with southern Democrats voting against the bill. The act passed due to unanimous Republican support.

There was also the issue of the Rules Committee where Judge Smith used its undue power to halt legislation such that it was not voted on. Apparently Rayburn "declared, the new President had a right to have his program considered before the House." So there began political manoeuvring to break the Rules Committee oligarchy by making it larger or by replacing one of the older Democrat members on it.

From Remini's book:

President Kennedy tried to help, and learned an important lesson in the process. He met with Congressional leadership and, after dispensing with some routine business, turned to the subject on everyone's mind. ""Now I'd like to talk about the Rules Committee," he announced.

Suddenly, the flat of Rayburn's hand hit the table with a resounding smack. It was like a gunshot. "No Sir," he shouted. "That is House business, and the House of Representatives will decide that. The White House [Executive] has no business there at all."

Everyone in the room froze. They were shocked. No one moved or said a word. Kennedy realised his mistake and quickly moved onto another topic.

But every House member soon learned how their Speaker had stood up to the President and reasserted their rights.

We wouldn't see that tension in the lower house of the Australian Parliaments as the PM/Premier is both the Executive and leader of the Legislative majority.