Tarrant County, Texas -Patriot Mobile Action, a non-profit Texas PAC, announces support for immediately ending the Texas House Speaker’s practice of awarding committee chairmanships to Democrats.
Committee chairs have the power to determine what bills make it out of committees to the floor for a vote. These positions give Democrats the bully pulpit to hold hearings on Democrat priorities and refuse hearings on issues important to Republicans. Essentially, committee chairs decide what legislation will be voted on and what will be ignored. These committee chairs also use these positions to raise lobby money to fight against Republicans.
“No other state awards a significant portion of its leadership positions to the minority party,” said Leigh Wambsganss, Executive Director of Patriot Mobile Action. “In Texas, however, 14 of 34 House committees were chaired by Democrats last session. Incredibly, Democrats chaired many of the most important committees like Public Education, Criminal Jurisprudence, Defense and Veterans Affairs, Transportation and Urban Affairs. Those Democrat committee chairs were appointed by the Texas Republican House Speaker.”
Texas Republican voters want this practice to end.
In the March 2022 Primary Election, Texas Republicans overwhelmingly supported a statewide Republican Party Proposition, voting over 81% in favor of ending the self-defeating practice of a Republican majority giving Democrats committee chairmanships. Specifically, that proposition read:
“The Republican-controlled Texas Legislature should end the practice of awarding committee chairmanships to Democrats.”
The Texas Republican Party wants this practice to end.
At the June 2022 GOP State Convention, over 5,000 Texas Republican delegates voted on the Texas Platform and Resolutions. Delegates overwhelmingly voted for Standing Committees to be chaired by the political party in the majority. Furthermore, delegates voted to make thisissue one of their top eight legislative priorities for the 88th Texas Legislative Session (2023- 2024). That Legislative Priorities Report language specifically states:
“Ban Democrat Chairs: To ensure all legislative Republican priorities are given a fair opportunity to become law, the Republican-controlled Texas legislature shall adopt a rule that would end the practice of awarding committee chairmanships to Democrats.”
Texas Republicans held the State House Republican majority again.
In the November 2022 General Election, Texas voters held the Republican majority in the Texas state house. Republicans have held the majority in the Texas House of Representatives since 2003. Yet, in the last legislative session, Democrats chaired 40 percent of Texas House committees.
“People across the country and Texans alike are shocked to learn that the Texas Republican House Speaker hands power to anti-family, anti-freedom Democrats,” said Wambsganss. “Texas Republican voters held the State House Republican majority in November, passed a legislative priority banning this practice in June, and overwhelmingly passed a Resolution in March banning this practice. There should be no confusion. Texas Republicans expect Republicans in Austin to represent the conservatives that sent them there.”
Founded in January 2022, Patriot Mobile Action engages on the front lines, researching issues and candidates and independently advocates on behalf of those who will stand for Christian conservative values.
November 29, 2022
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