IV 
112TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 437 
Recognizing the security challenges of convening Government officials in one 
specific place and directing the House of Representatives to take appro-
priate steps so that the House of Representatives can meet in a virtual 
setting. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 13, 2011 
Mr. PEARCE submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Rules 
and House Administration, for a period to be subsequently determined by 
the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall with-
in the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
RESOLUTION 
Recognizing the security challenges of convening Government 
officials in one specific place and directing the House 
of Representatives to take appropriate steps so that the 
House of Representatives can meet in a virtual setting. 
Whereas Congressmen and congressional staff need to inter-
act more with constituents; 
Whereas Congressmen must be more accountable to their 
constituents; 
Whereas constituents deserve better access to their Congress-
man; 
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•HRES 437 IH 
Whereas constituents must overcome time constraints and 
high travel costs to travel to Washington, DC, to meet 
with their Congressman; 
Whereas Congressmen currently do most of their work from 
Washington, DC, and travel varying distances to their 
districts; 
Whereas many congressional staffers do not spend time in 
the district for which they were hired to work, and are 
less in touch with the needs of constituents than they 
would be if they worked in the district; 
Whereas the House of Representatives currently demands 
that Congressmen physically assemble in Washington, 
DC, to conduct their duties, including holding debates, 
hearings, meetings, and votes; 
Whereas recent advances in technology, such as electronic 
voting, video conferencing, and secure telephone and 
internet connections, would make it possible for the 
House of Representatives to hold debates, hearings, meet-
ings, and votes in a virtual setting; 
Whereas, because of the possibility of another terrorist attack 
on Washington, DC, there are security and safety con-
cerns about the entire Congress being physically located 
in a single place; and 
Whereas Government operating costs are far too high, and 
Congress must find new and innovative ways to save tax-
payer money by decreasing the operating costs of the 
Government: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) directs the Committee on House Adminis-
tration to identify the best practices for holding de-
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•HRES 437 IH 
bates, hearings, meetings, and votes of the House of 
Representatives in a virtual setting; and 
(2) directs the Committee on House Adminis-
tration to establish procedures and rules for Con-
gressmen to consider legislation in a virtual setting; 
and 
(3) directs the House of Representatives to hold 
debates, hearings, meetings, and votes in a virtual 
setting in accordance with the requirement to assem-
ble under section 2 of the 20th Amendment of the 
Constitution. 
Æ 
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