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Press Release Published: Jul 29, 2021

Comer: Texas Democrats’ Superspreader Stunt Disenfranchised All Texas Voters

Blasts Democrats’ political theater and reiterates urgent call for needed congressional oversight on border, inflation, and more

WASHINGTON—Ranking Member James Comer (R-Ky.) opened today’s Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties hearing on Texas Democrats’ superspreader stunt by calling out Democrats for using the hearing as a spectacle while failing to conduct real oversight. Ranking Member Comer emphasized Democrats continue to ignore waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in the federal government, including the veterans’ records backlog, rampant unemployment fraud, the Biden border crisis, and more. He blasted Texas Democrats for fleeing the state to prevent debate and disenfranchising all voters throughout the state of Texas as a result.

Ranking Member Comer’s remarks as prepared for delivery are below.

Thank you, Chairman Raskin.

The hearing title today claims there is an assault on voting rights in Texas, which would be very troubling if it were true. But it isn’t.

Your hearing title implies a big lie.

Today, Democrats are holding a hearing meant to convince us of the necessity of their bill, H.R. 1, that would federalize elections across this country, funnel taxpayer money to politicians, and prevent commonsense and popular integrity measures such as voter ID.

Once again, Democrats are engaging in spectacle over substance while conducting no real oversight.

There are multiple ongoing crises in our country that need to be addressed. Americans are suffering as a result of President Biden’s inflation, border, and crime crises.

We have asked repeatedly for a hearing on President Biden’s border crisis, including the welfare of migrant children who have been held past the legal timeframe in crowded facilities in the middle of a pandemic.

Yet, Democrats have held no hearings nor have called on Biden Administration officials to answer pressing questions about the gross mismanagement at the border.

We’ve also called for hearings on other areas of waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in the federal government—our committee’s core mission—but Democrats have ignored these requests.

Because federal bureaucrats have not returned to the workplace, veterans have waited for almost a year—a year!—for their records from the National Archives and Records Administration. This massive backlog is delaying the benefits to which they are entitled. Yet no hearings in this committee.

Hundreds of billions in pandemic unemployment relief have been stolen by international criminal organizations. Again, there has been no hearing to understand how U.S. taxpayer dollars were so badly managed or the damage it caused to our national security.

No wonder the Democrats on this committee received an “F” in congressional oversight by the Lugar Center. Americans deserve better.

Instead of conducting real oversight, Democrats are holding a hearing to celebrate the theatrical exit of over 50 Texas Democrat legislators from their state to prevent debate on legislation they simply don’t like.

These Democrats fled Texas and paralyzed the Texas House which cannot proceed with debate or voting on legislation important to Texans, including voting integrity measures.

During their superspreader stunt, Democrats flew to D.C. in two private charter jets, stayed in downtown hotels, met with the Vice President, Speaker Pelosi, and other congressional leaders.

They spread COVID-19 all over D.C. and made sure to share their vacation experience over social media to fundraise for their campaigns and expenses.

Unfortunately, this stunt likely pushed D.C. into the substantial spread zone and we know what that will mean for our children—no in-person school as Democrats continue their command and control tactics.

If these Democrats actually cared about voting rights, they would care about the right of Texans to have their voice heard through their duly-elected representatives. Their childish theatrics prevented the entire state legislature from debating and voting on important matters during the special session. Their actions have disenfranchised all voters throughout the state of Texas.

The Texas bills being debated provide commonsense voting integrity measures such as extending a simple voter ID requirement to absentee ballots and standardizing and expanding early voting access.

Unfortunately, because Texas Democrats fled their state for a Washington, D.C. vacation, that process cannot proceed as designed.

I hope our committee will see the light, end this partisan charade, and start conducting real oversight.

The American people are counting on us to safeguard their government from waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement. That’s the reason this committee exists.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I yield back.