[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 477 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 477
Establishing the Select Committee on President Biden's Cognitive
Decline.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 4, 2025
Mr. Patronis submitted the following resolution; which was referred to
the Committee on Rules
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Establishing the Select Committee on President Biden's Cognitive
Decline.
Whereas overwhelming evidence shows President Biden and his staff covered up the
extent of his cognitive decline;
Whereas additional information has come to light following his departure from
the White House showing the full extent of his cognitive infirmaries;
Whereas the 25th Amendment establishes a process whereby the President or the
Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the
executive departments or such other body as Congress may by law provide
may report to Congress that the President is unable to discharge the
powers and duties of the office;
Whereas the American people deserve to have a President who is engaged and
understands the nature and consequences of his actions; and
Whereas Congress has an institutional interest in understanding whether the
President is capable of discharging these powers and duties: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved,
SECTION 1. ESTABLISHMENT.
There is hereby established in the House of Representatives a
Select Committee on President Biden's Cognitive Decline (hereafter in
this resolution referred to as the ``Select Committee'').
SEC. 2. COMPOSITION.
(a) Appointment of Members.--The Speaker shall appoint 13 Members
to the Select Committee, 5 of whom shall be appointed after
consultation with the minority leader.
(b) Designation of Chair.--The Speaker shall designate one Member
to serve as chair of the Select Committee.
(c) Vacancies.--Any vacancy in the Select Committee shall be filled
in the same manner as the original appointment.
SEC. 3. PURPOSES.
Consistent with the functions described in section 4, the purposes
of the Select Committee are the following:
(1) To investigate and to report upon the facts,
circumstances, and causes related to the coverup of President
Biden's cognitive decline (hereafter referred to as ``the
coverup'').
(2) To determine who was executing the powers and duties of
the President given the coverup.
(3) To examine and evaluate evidence developed by relevant
Federal, State, and local governmental offices regarding the
facts and circumstances surrounding the coverup.
(4) To build upon the investigations of other entities and
avoid unnecessary duplication of efforts by reviewing the
investigations, findings, conclusions, and recommendations of
other executive branch, congressional, or independent
bipartisan or nonpartisan investigations into the coverup.
SEC. 4. FUNCTIONS.
(a) Functions.--The functions of the Select Committee are to--
(1) investigate the facts, circumstances, and causes
relating to the coverup, including facts and circumstances
relating to--
(A) activities of intelligence agencies, law
enforcement agencies, and the Armed Forces, including
with respect to intelligence collection, analysis, and
dissemination and information sharing among the
branches and other instrumentalities of government;
(B) influencing factors that contributed to the
coverup and how technology, including online platforms,
financing, and malign foreign influence operations and
campaigns may have factored into the motivation,
organization, and execution of the coverup; and
(C) other entities of the public and private sector
as determined relevant by the Select Committee for such
investigation;
(2) identify, review, and evaluate the causes of and the
lessons learned from the coverup regarding--
(A) the command, control, and communications of the
Federal Government;
(B) the structure, coordination, operational plans,
policies, and procedures of the Federal Government;
(C) the structure, authorities, training, manpower
utilization, equipment, and operational planning of the
Federal Government; and
(D) the policies, protocols, processes, procedures,
and systems of the Federal Government;
(3) submit all legislative proposals to the House or any
committee of the House; and
(4) not later than September 25, 2026, issue a final report
to the House containing such findings, conclusions, and
recommendations for corrective measures described in subsection
(c) as it may deem necessary.
(b) Reports.--
(1) Interim reports.--In addition to the final report
required under subsection (a)(4), the Select Committee may
report to the House or any committee of the House from time to
time the results of its investigations, together with such
detailed findings and legislative proposals as it may deem
advisable.
(2) Treatment of classified or law enforcement-sensitive
matter.--Any report issued by the Select Committee shall be
issued in unclassified form but may include a classified annex,
a law enforcement-sensitive annex, or both.
(c) Corrective Measures Described.--The corrective measures
described in this subsection may include changes in law, policy,
procedures, rules, or regulations that could be taken--
(1) to prevent future acts covering up the President's
cognitive decline;
(2) to improve the public's understanding of the
President's cognitive health; and
(3) to strengthen the domestic institutions of the United
States.
(d) No Legislative Jurisdiction.--The Select Committee shall not
have legislative jurisdiction and shall have no authority to take
legislative action on any bill or resolution.
SEC. 5. PROCEDURE.
(a) Access to Information From Intelligence Community.--
Notwithstanding clause 3(m) of rule X of the Rules of the House of
Representatives, the Select Committee is authorized to study the
sources and methods of entities described in clause 11(b)(1)(A) of rule
X insofar as such study is related to the matters described in sections
3 and 4.
(b) Treatment of Classified Information.--Clause 11(b)(4), clause
11(e), and the first sentence of clause 11(f) of rule X of the Rules of
the House of Representatives shall apply to the Select Committee.
(c) Applicability of Rules Governing Procedures of Committees.--
Rule XI of the Rules of the House of Representatives shall apply to the
Select Committee except as follows:
(1) Clause 2(a) of rule XI shall not apply to the Select
Committee.
(2) Clause 2(g)(2)(D) of rule XI shall apply to the Select
Committee in the same manner as it applies to the Permanent
Select Committee on Intelligence.
(3) Pursuant to clause 2(h) of rule XI, two Members of the
Select Committee shall constitute a quorum for taking testimony
or receiving evidence and one-third of the Members of the
Select Committee shall constitute a quorum for taking any
action other than one for which the presence of a majority of
the Select Committee is required.
(4) The chair of the Select Committee may authorize and
issue subpoenas pursuant to clause 2(m) of rule XI in the
investigation and study conducted pursuant to sections 3 and 4
of this resolution, including for the purpose of taking
depositions.
(5) The chair of the Select Committee is authorized to
compel by subpoena the furnishing of information by
interrogatory.
(6)(A) The chair of the Select Committee, upon consultation
with the ranking minority member, may order the taking of
depositions, including pursuant to subpoena, by a Member or
counsel of the Select Committee, in the same manner as a
standing committee pursuant to section 3(t) of House Resolution
5, One Hundred Nineteenth Congress.
(B) Depositions taken under the authority prescribed in
this paragraph shall be governed by the most recent procedures
submitted by the chair of the Committee on Rules for printing
in the Congressional Record.
(7) Subpoenas authorized pursuant to this resolution may be
signed by the chair of the Select Committee or a designee.
(8) The chair of the Select Committee may, after
consultation with the ranking minority member, recognize--
(A) Members of the Select Committee to question a
witness for periods longer than five minutes as though
pursuant to clause 2(j)(2)(B) of rule XI; and
(B) staff of the Select Committee to question a
witness as though pursuant to clause 2(j)(2)(C) of rule
XI.
(9) The chair of the Select Committee may postpone further
proceedings when a record vote is ordered on questions
referenced in clause 2(h)(4) of rule XI, and may resume
proceedings on such postponed questions at any time after
reasonable notice. Notwithstanding any intervening order for
the previous question, an underlying proposition shall remain
subject to further debate or amendment to the same extent as
when the question was postponed.
(10) The provisions of paragraphs (f)(1) through (f)(12) of
clause 4 of rule XI shall apply to the Select Committee.
(d) Publication.--The Select Committee shall ensure that reports
and proposals prepared under this resolution shall, upon completion, be
made available to the general public in widely accessible formats not
later than 10 calendar days after the submission of the final report
under section 4(a)(4).
SEC. 6. RECORDS; STAFF; TRAVEL; FUNDING.
(a) Access to Records of Committees.--A committee of the House
shall cooperate with the Select Committee in providing access to
records of the committee which will support the Select Committee in
carrying out its purposes and functions.
(b) Staff.--The appointment and the compensation of staff for the
Select Committee shall be subject to regulations issued by the
Committee on House Administration.
(c) Detail of Staff From the Legislative and Executive Branches.--
(1) House staff.--Staff of employing entities of the House
or a joint committee may be detailed to the Select Committee to
carry out this resolution and shall be deemed to be staff of
the Select Committee.
(2) Executive branch staff.--The Select Committee may
request the head of any Federal agency to detail, on a
nonreimbursable basis, any of the personnel of the agency to
the Select Committee.
(d) Use of Consultants Permitted.--Section 202(i) of the
Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 (2 U.S.C. 4301(i)) shall apply
with respect to the Select Committee in the same manner as such section
applies with respect to a standing committee of the House of
Representatives.
(e) Travel.--Clauses 8(a), (b), and (c) of rule X of the Rules of
the House of Representatives shall apply to the Select Committee.
(f) Funding; Payments.--There shall be paid out of the applicable
accounts of the House of Representatives such sums as may be necessary
for the expenses of the Select Committee. Such payments shall be made
on vouchers signed by the chair of the Select Committee and approved in
the manner directed by the Committee on House Administration. Amounts
made available under this subsection shall be expended in accordance
with regulations prescribed by the Committee on House Administration.
SEC. 7. TERMINATION AND DISPOSITION OF RECORDS.
(a) Termination.--The Select Committee shall terminate 30 days
after filing the final report under section 4.
(b) Disposition of Records.--Upon termination of the Select
Committee--
(1) the records of the Select Committee shall become the
records of such committee or committees designated by the
Speaker; and
(2) the copies of records provided to the Select Committee
by a committee of the House under section 6(a) shall be
returned to the committee.
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