With the support of more than two-thirds of the Republican members of the Texas House of Representatives, the House passed a new rules package that includes a requirement that only members of the majority party can serve as committee chairmen.
The vote on the new rules provided an opportunity for a supermajority of Republican lawmakers to unify around the concept of banning Democrat committee chairmen- an issue that has been designated as a legislative priority by the Republican Party of Texas. In addition to receiving the support of Republican lawmakers who supported new Speaker Dustin Burrows, the new rules were also supported by all of the Republicans who had announced their candidacy for Speaker of the Texas House this session on a “reform” platform that included banning Democrat committee chairs.
The vote to ban Democrat committee chairmen came after the Republican Party of Texas and a network of organizations connected to Midland businessman and political donor Tim Dunn accused Burrows and his Republican supporters of “trying to cut a deal with Democrats to elect a liberal Speaker of the House” and claiming that “Liberal Democrats are trying to steal the Speakership in Texas!”
Republican State Representative Cody Harris, who was one of many Republican lawmakers targeted by the Texas GOP’s attacks, pushed back against the false claims made against him and his colleagues and expressed confidence in House Republicans’ commitment to passing conservative legislation.
“Under the leadership of conservative Speaker Dustin Burrows, the Texas House sent a resounding message to the outside astroturf influencers who are hell-bent on totalitarian control: you can lie to our voters and drag us through the mud, but the vast majority of Texas House Republicans will continue to stand on bedrock conservative principles. We did what the astroturf groups said we wouldn’t – we banned Democrats chairs and unified House Republicans,” said Harris.
Some Republican opponents of the new rules claimed that the rules somehow “empowered Democrats” through appointments as vice chairs of committees. Proponents of the new rules have debunked these claims.
In a tweet responding to criticism about the new House rules, Republican State Representative Jared Patterson wrote, “We banned minority party Chairs in the Texas House without sacrificing a drop of power to push, stall, or pass legislation from the Committee Chairman. Full stop. Are [there] Democrat Vice Chairs in the House and Senate, yes. Can they prevent legislation from moving forward? No. Can a subcommittee, designed to drill down on a specific issue, stall or push certain legislation without the approval of the Committee Chairman? No. That’s why every Republican (former) candidate for Speaker voted for the rules along with 72% of the R Caucus.”
Among other new provisions in the House rules is the creation of a new committee, the Delivery of Government Efficiency (“DOGE”) Committee, which is inspired by the new Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency in the Trump Administration. The new Texas DOGE Committee will have jurisdiction over matters including “the organization, operation, powers, regulations, and management of state departments, agencies, institutions, and advisory committees,” “elimination of inefficiencies in the provision of state services,” oversight over the administrative rulemaking process, open government issues, the use of artificial intelligence, and the detection of waste, fraud, and abuse in state government.
Burrows congratulated the House on the passage of the rules and reiterated his commitment to passing conservative legislation this session.
“We face many challenges as a state, and it will take the collective effort of all members to meet them effectively. Now, with our rules in place, we must turn our focus to the work ahead and pass a conservative agenda that serves every Texan,” said Burrows.
