Title: Raising a question of the privileges of the House.
Policy area: Congress

Summary:
Establishes a select committee to investigate the circumstances around the resignation of Father Patrick Conroy, Chaplain of the House of Representatives.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 878 Laid on Table in House (LTH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 878

           Raising a question of the privileges of the House.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 8, 2018

 Mr. Crowley submitted the following resolution; which was laid on the 
                                 table

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
           Raising a question of the privileges of the House.

Whereas the tradition of the House Chaplain dates to the earliest days of the 
        House of Representatives, beginning in 1789;
Whereas the role of House Chaplain has been filled by sixty individuals of 
        various religious denominations, serving Members of Congress of all 
        faiths;
Whereas Father Patrick Conroy has served honorably as House Chaplain since May 
        25, 2011, when he was appointed by then-Speaker John A. Boehner in 
        consultation with Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi;
Whereas Father Conroy had been re-appointed and elected by the House of 
        Representatives on three separate occasions, most recently January 3, 
        2017;
Whereas on April 16, 2018, the nation's first Jesuit--and only the second 
        Catholic--Chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives submitted his 
        resignation before the full House;
Whereas the Chaplain had only eight months remaining in his term of service to 
        the House;
Whereas this resignation was requested by the office of Paul D. Ryan, Speaker of 
        the House of Representatives;
Whereas the Speaker's office said ``. . . the decision (to remove the Chaplain) 
        was his (Speaker Ryan's);''
Whereas on May 3, 2018, Father Conroy submitted a letter retracting and 
        rescinding his resignation, which was accepted by Speaker Ryan;
Whereas despite the Speaker's statement accepting this retraction letter, a 
        number of Members of Congress remain concerned about what motivated the 
        original request for Father Conroy to resign and the lack of adequate 
        notification or explanation given to Members;
Whereas the rights of Members of the House of Representatives were undermined 
        when the leader of one party made a unilateral decision to ask for the 
        resignation of the Chaplain;
Whereas this resignation and the circumstances behind it has compromised the 
        integrity and the dignity of the House of Representatives by 
        politicizing the office of the House Chaplain: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That--
            (1) There is hereby established a select committee to 
        investigate the circumstances around the resignation of the 
        House Chaplain.
            (2) The select committee shall be comprised of six members, 
        of which three shall be appointed by the Chair of the Committee 
        on Ethics, and three by the Ranking Member of the Committee on 
        Ethics.
            (3) The select committee shall investigate the motivations 
        and actions that led to the resignation of the Chaplain, 
        including the decisions to remove the Chaplain and the process 
        by which Members of Congress were notified of the resignation.
            (4) The select committee shall provide a report to the 
        House by July 13, 2018.
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