[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 540 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 540

  Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the 
 motivations of the members of the Texas Legislature who have fled to 
the Nation's capital from Texas and urging the Sergeant at Arms of the 
 House, the United States Capitol Police, and Department of Justice to 
 cooperate with the Texas Department of Public Safety in their efforts 
                   to return these members to Texas.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 20, 2021

   Ms. Van Duyne (for herself, Mr. Gohmert, Mr. Carter of Texas, Mr. 
    Babin, Mr. Taylor, Mr. Weber of Texas, Mr. Gooden of Texas, Mr. 
Sessions, Mr. Williams of Texas, Mr. Pfluger, Mr. Fallon, Mr. Crenshaw, 
  Mr. Jackson, Mr. Cloud, Mr. Burgess, and Mr. McCaul) submitted the 
   following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the 
 Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on House Administration, 
for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case 
for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of 
                        the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the 
 motivations of the members of the Texas Legislature who have fled to 
the Nation's capital from Texas and urging the Sergeant at Arms of the 
 House, the United States Capitol Police, and Department of Justice to 
 cooperate with the Texas Department of Public Safety in their efforts 
                   to return these members to Texas.

Whereas members of the Texas Legislature have taken an oath to ``faithfully 
        execute the duties of the office'';
Whereas, on June 25, 2021, Texas Governor Greg Abbott, acting within his powers, 
        ordered a special session to address important issues affecting the 
        State of Texas, including election integrity;
Whereas instead of fulfilling their oath of office and representing their 
        constituents as the Texas Legislature reconvened on July 12, over 50 
        Democratic members and paid staff of the legislature chartered private 
        planes to flee the State for Washington, DC;
Whereas the Democratic members of the legislature refuse to be fully transparent 
        about their meetings in Washington and how they relate to their official 
        responsibilities or the costs of their travel;
Whereas the Democrat members are advocating circumventing State law and 
        federalizing Texas elections through passage of H.R. 1;
Whereas our Founders set up a federalist election system which allowed States to 
        write and organize their own elections;
Whereas this bill, also known as ``For the Politicians Act'', would use taxpayer 
        dollars to fund political campaigns, weaken our election security, and 
        take the ability to manage elections away from Texas and give it to 
        Washington bureaucrats;
Whereas there are reports of Democratic members of the legislature soliciting 
        donations to pay for their expenses in Washington;
Whereas the Texas Legislature is considering legislation to address unique 
        challenges to the State's election process;
Whereas the United States Capitol Complex remains restricted to public access;
Whereas some Democratic members of the legislature have tested positive for 
        COVID-19, presenting health risks for individuals with whom they come in 
        contact;
Whereas, on July 13, 2021, the Texas House of Representatives passed a 
        resolution to allow the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) to 
        arrest and return to the Texas State Capitol any lawmaker who fled the 
        State; and
Whereas the Texas DPS is working to coordinate its efforts with other law 
        enforcement jurisdictions: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That--
            (1) it is the sense of the House of Representatives that 
        the claims made by the members of the Texas Legislature who 
        have fled to the Nation's capital from Texas are unfounded at 
        best and deceiving at worst, that their actions have further 
        resulted in their abandonment of their responsibilities and 
        duty to fulfill their oath of office; and
            (2) the House of Representatives urges the Sergeant at Arms 
        of the House, the United States Capitol Police, and Department 
        of Justice to cooperate with the Texas Department of Public 
        Safety in their efforts to return these members to Texas.
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