[House Hearing, 119 Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
MARKUP OF H. RES. 198, COMMITTEE RESOLU-
TION 119-10, COMMITTEE RESOLUTION 119-
11, RESOLUTION DISMISSING THE ELECTION
CONTEST IN THE FOLLOWING STATES:
FL-14 (1), FL-14 (2), TX-30, TX-28, AND RESO-
LUTION DISMISSING THE ELECTION CONTEST
IN THE AT-LARGE CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT
OF ALASKA
=======================================================================
MARKUP
BEFORE THE
COMMITTEE ON HOUSE
ADMINISTRATION
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED NINETEENTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
__________
MARCH 11, 2025
__________
Printed for the use of the Committee on House Administration
[GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
www.govinfo.gov
www.cha.house.gov
__________
U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
59-615 WASHINGTON : 2025
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COMMITTEE ON HOUSE ADMINISTRATION
BRYAN STEIL, Wisconsin, Chairman
LAUREL LEE, Florida, Vice Chair JOSEPH MORELLE, New York,
BARRY LOUDERMILK, Georgia Ranking Member
H. MORGAN GRIFFITH, Virginia TERRI A. SEWELL, Alabama
GREG MURPHY, North Carolina NORMA TORRES, California
STEPHANIE BICE, Oklahoma JULIE JOHNSON, Texas
MARY MILLER, Illinois
MIKE CAREY, Ohio
Mike Platt, Staff Director
Jamie Fleet, Minority Staff Director
C O N T E N T S
----------
Page
Opening Statements
Chairman Bryan Steil, Representative from the State of Wisconsin. 1
Ranking Member Joseph Morelle, Representative from the State of
New York....................................................... 2
Submissions for the Record
House Resolution 198............................................. 4
Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute to H. Res. 198........... 10
Committee Resolution 119-10...................................... 17
Committee Resolution 119-11...................................... 18
Resolution dismissing the election contest in FL-14 (1).......... 22
Resolution dismissing the election contest in FL-14 (2).......... 23
Resolution dismissing the election contest in TX-30.............. 25
Resolution dismissing the election contest in TX-28.............. 26
Resolution dismissing the election contest in the at-large
Congressional District of Alaska............................... 27
MARKUP OF H. RES. 198, COMMITTEE RESOLUTION 119-10, COMMITTEE
RESOLUTION 119-11, RESOLUTION DISMISSING THE ELECTION CONTEST IN THE
FOLLOWING STATES: FL-14 (1), FL-14 (2), TX-30, TX-28, AND RESOLUTION
DISMISSING THE ELECTION CONTEST IN THE AT-LARGE CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT
OF ALASKA
----------
March 11, 2025
Committee on House Administration,
House of Representatives,
Washington, D.C.
The Committee met, pursuant to notice, at 3 p.m., in room
1310, Longworth House Office Building, Hon. Bryan Steil
[Chairman of the Committee] presiding.
Present: Representatives Steil, Lee, Loudermilk, Griffith,
Miller, Morelle, Sewell, and Torres.
Staff present: Mike Platt, Staff Director; Janet Schwalb,
Deputy Staff Director; Rachel Collins, General Counsel; Kristen
Monterroso, Director of Operations and Legislative Clerk; Abby
Salter, Deputy General Counsel; Marissa Mullen, Deputy Director
of Member Services; Annemarie Cake, Deputy Clerk and
Professional Staff; Jamie Fleet, Minority Staff Director;
Khalil Abboud, Minority Deputy Staff Director; Sean Wright,
Minority Chief Counsel; and Matt Schlesinger, Minority Senior
Counsel.
OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. BRYAN STEIL, CHAIRMAN OF THE
COMMITTEE ON HOUSE ADMINISTRATION, A U.S. REPRESENTATIVE FROM
WISCONSIN
Chairman Steil. The Committee on House Administration will
come to order. I note that a quorum is present.
Without objection, the chair is authorized to declare a
recess at any time.
I would like to start by thanking Ranking Member Morelle
and Members for participating in the two-part Committee funding
hearing in recent weeks. The hearing with the chairs and
Ranking Members of each House Committee took great effort and
coordination. I am grateful to all the Members for your
participation.
In the end, we heard from pretty much every chair and
Ranking Member of the House Committees on their requested
budgets for the 119th Congress.
Holding these hearings is one of the Committee's core
responsibilities, and I believe these hearings advance our
efforts to be more transparent and accountable to the American
people.
In reviewing each of the budget requests, we wanted to
ensure that every Committee has the necessary resources to
execute their mission without wasting taxpayer dollars, which I
believe we achieved with my Chairman's mark.
The amendment in the nature of a substitute provides
Committees with the funding they need to conduct their
important work in the 119th Congress. I am hopeful we can pass
this resolution today to allow the Committees to get to work.
Today we will also be considering a Committee resolution
setting the intern allocation for the standing and select
committees, excluding the Appropriations Committee.
Internship opportunities on the Hill provide students and
young adults an opportunity to see Government in action.
We will also be considering a resolution to establish an
allocation for Committees' franked mail.
Finally, as our Committee oversees Federal elections, we
will be considering five resolutions to dismiss election
challenges from across the country.
I thank my colleagues for being here today, and I am
hopeful we will pass all of these resolutions in a nonpartisan
fashion.
I will now recognize the Ranking Member, Mr. Morelle, for 5
minutes for the purpose of offering an opening statement.
OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. JOSEPH MORELLE, RANKING MEMBER OF THE
COMMITTEE ON HOUSE ADMINISTRATION, A U.S. REPRESENTATIVE FROM
NEW YORK
Mr. Morelle. Good afternoon. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Thank you for calling this meeting to consider, as you
indicated, a number of important pieces of institutional
legislation that enhance Committee capacity and protect one of
the core constitutional responsibilities of the House.
As we recently established during our series of funding
hearings, we must make sufficient investments in our Committees
which allows them to hire and retain smart, dedicated staff and
enables the execution of their respective missions under House
rules.
This investment is particularly important as we enter a
post-Chevron deference world of legislating and the burden of
drafting and enacting technical and complicated regulations
shifts from the executive branch to Congress and to our staffs
from what I would charitably describe as a chaotic start to
this administration.
We also have to ensure Committees are able to exercise
rigorous and comprehensive oversight as we endeavor to maintain
the separation of powers that our Federal Government is
predicated upon. The omnibus Committee expense resolution we
are considering today I believe accomplishes that.
While we are on the topic of Committee capacity building,
we will also determine allocations for funding for Committee
interns, as the chair just indicated, an important tool that
provides personnel flexibility to Committees as we recruit and
train the next generation of public servants.
Additionally, we will authorize financial allocations for
official communications--or, as we refer to it here, franked
mail--from Committees.
I do want to thank the chair for also docketing the
dismissal of the five deficient and, in my view, frivolous
election contests.
The Constitution vests the House with the ultimate
determinative authority of who can be seated as a Member, and
that responsibility is further bequeathed to this Committee by
the Federal Contested Elections Act.
It is vitally important to the health of our democracy that
we do not entertain contests that fall short of the
requirements of the statute and dismiss them expeditiously.
With that, I do support the pieces of legislation on the
agenda today. I urge my colleagues to do the same.
I want to thank the chair and the staffs on both sides for
all their work.
With that, I yield back.
Chairman Steil. The gentleman yields back.
I will now call up H. Res 198, providing for the expenses
of certain Committees of the House of Representatives in the
119th Congress.
I want to thank again my colleagues for their cooperation
on this important issue. By passing the resolution today, we
will allow the Committees to begin their critical work in the
119th. I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of the resolution.
I again recognize the Ranking Member, Mr. Morelle, if you
have an opening statement.
Mr. Morelle. I am fine.
Chairman Steil. The clerk will please report H. Res 198.
The Clerk. H. Res. 198----
Chairman Steil. Without objection, the first reading of the
resolution is dispensed with.
Also, without objection, the resolution shall be considered
as read and open to amendment at any point.
[The resolution follows:]
HOUSE RESOLUTION 198
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Chairman Steil. I have an amendment in the nature of a
substitute at the desk. The clerk will please report the
amendment.
The Clerk. Amendment in the nature of----
Chairman Steil. Without objection, the Amendment in the
Nature of a Substitute is considered as read and will be
considered as original text for the purpose of further
amendment.
[The Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute follows:]
AMENDMENT IN THE NATURE
OF A SUBSTITUTE TO H. RES. 198
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Chairman Steil. Do any Members seek recognition for
amendment or debate?
There being no further amendment or debate, the question
now occurs on the amendment in the nature of a substitute.
All those in favor, signify by saying aye.
Opposed, no.
In the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it, and the
amendment is adopted.
The question now occurs on H. Res. 198, as amended,
reported favorably to the House.
All those in favor, signify by saying aye.
Opposed, no.
In the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it, and H. Res.
198, as amended, is agreed to.
Without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid upon
the table.
I now call up the following resolutions en bloc.
Committee Resolution 119-10, a resolution to approve
allocation from the Paid House Committee Internship Program to
Committees for 2025; and then Committee Resolution 119-11, a
resolution to approve franked mail allowances for Committees in
the 119th Congress.
Committee Resolution 119-10 allocates the 2025 legislative
year allowance among each standing and select committee in the
House, excluding the Appropriations Committee, for the
compensation of interns.
Committee Resolution 119-11 will set the allocation of
official mail allowance for each standing and select committee
of the House, excluding Appropriations.
I urge my colleagues to support these resolutions.
I will recognize the Ranking Member, Mr. Morelle, if he
would like to give a statement on these resolutions.
Mr. Morelle. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Simply that I support these resolutions as they are
capacity-increasing measures for our fellow Committees, who I
think will need every available tool at their disposal as we
continue to work through this Congress. I urge my colleagues to
support the same.
I yield back.
Chairman Steil. The gentleman yields back.
The clerk will please report Committee Resolutions 119-10
and 119-11.
The Clerk. Resolution----
Chairman Steil. Without objection, the reading of the
resolutions is dispensed with and will be considered en bloc.
Also, without objection, the resolutions shall be
considered as read and open to amendment at any point.
[The resolutions follow:]
COMMITTEE RESOLUTION 119-10
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Chairman Steil. Do any other Members seek recognition for
amendment or debate.
There being no further amendment or debate, the question
now occurs on the resolution.
All those in favor, signify by saying aye.
Opposed, no.
In the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it.
Without objection, the resolutions are agreed to.
Without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid upon
the table.
I now call up the following resolutions en bloc.
The first resolution, dismissing the election contest
related to the office of Representative from the 14th
Congressional District of Florida, which was filed on January
9, 2025.
The second resolution, dismissing the election contest
related to the office of Representative from the 14th
Congressional District of Florida, which was filed on November
17, 2024.
Third, the resolution dismissing the election contest
related to the office of Representative from the 30th
Congressional District of Texas.
Fourth, the resolution dismissing the election contest
related to the office of Representative from the 28th
Congressional District of Texas.
Fifth, the resolution dismissing the election contest
related to the office of Representative for the at-large
Congressional District of Alaska.
As the Committee with oversight of our elections, we
receive election contests for congressional races. In each of
these cases, the candidates either missed the deadline to file
challenges or challenged primaries, which the Committee does
not have jurisdiction over.
For these reasons, I urge my colleagues to support the
resolutions to dismiss the election contests.
I will now recognize Ranking Member Morelle if you would
like to offer an opening statement.
Mr. Morelle. Yes. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Very briefly.
The House is vested with the broad and comprehensive
authority to establish the procedures and render final
decisions relating to the election of its Members. The House
has consistently and regularly exercised its authority from the
very first Congress through the 118th Congress.
House Rule X and the Federal Contested Elections Act
generally assign the Committee jurisdiction over contested
elections. Today, the Committee acts pursuant to this authority
to consider five resolutions and accompanying reports
recommending the House dismiss various election contests before
it.
Each of the contests is procedurally deficient in one form
or another, and none provides evidence that the contestant has
demonstrated a right to the seat.
I appreciate, Mr. Chairman, your work and your staff and
their collaboration with our staff.
It is critical the House continue to play this role in a
professional and bipartisan manner so the American people can
be assured that their elective representatives are truly chosen
by and for the people.
Accordingly, I support the resolutions and urge my
colleagues to join me in voting yes.
With that, I thank you and yield back.
Chairman Steil. The gentleman yields back.
The clerk will please report the resolutions.
The Clerk. Dismissing the election contest----
Chairman Steil. Without objection, the first reading of the
resolution is dispensed with.
Without objection, the five resolutions will be considered
en bloc.
Also, without objection, the resolutions shall be
considered as read and open to amendment at any point.
[The resolutions follow:]
RESOLUTION DISMISSING THE ELECTION
CONTEST IN FL-14 (1)
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RESOLUTION DISMISSING THE ELECTION
CONTEST IN FL-14 (2)
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RESOLUTION DISMISSING THE ELECTION CONTEST IN TX-30
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RESOLUTION DISMISSING THE ELECTION CONTEST IN TX-28
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RESOLUTION DISMISSING THE ELECTION CONTEST IN THE AT-LARGE
CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT OF ALASKA
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Chairman Steil. Do any other Members seek recognition for
amendment or debate?
There being no further amendment or debate, the question
now occurs on the resolutions.
All those in favor, signify by saying aye.
All those opposed, no.
In the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it, and the
resolutions are agreed to.
Without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid upon
the table.
This concludes all matters before the Committee unless any
other Members have comments.
Without objection, the staff is authorized to make
necessary technical and conforming changes.
If there is no further business, I want to thank the
Members for their participation.
Without objection, the Committee on House Administration
stands adjourned.
[Whereupon, at 3:11 p.m., the Committee was adjourned.]
[all]