{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://cleaver.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-cleaver-introduces-constitutional-amendment-ensure", "Congressman Cleaver Introduces Constitutional Amendment to Ensure Continuity of Congress, Reduce Incentive for Political Violence", "2024-03-07", "2024", "2024-03", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Emanuel Cleaver", "C001061", "cleaver.house.gov", "cleaver", "https://cleaver.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "scraper", "(Washington, D.C.) \u2013 Today, U.S. Representatives Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO), Derek Kilmer (D-WA), Brad Wenstrup (R-OH), and William Timmons (R-SC) proposed an amendment to the Constitution to temporarily fill vacancies in the House of Representatives to further the continuity of Congress (Continuity Amendment) and reduce the incentive for political violence.\n\n\u201cCongress must have the capacity to immediately respond to the needs of the American people no matter the situation; and just because the United States has been fortunate enough to avoid falling headfirst into this potentially disastrous hole in the Constitution does not mean that we should assume it\u2019s impossible. In fact, after all that the world has witnessed in the past few years, from international conflict to COVID, I think it\u2019s critical that we have a plan in place,\u201d said Congressman Cleaver. \u201cThe Continuity Amendment is a common sense, bipartisan proposal that disincentivizes political violence and provides a reasonable, rational way forward should a mass casualty event occur in Congress, and I\u2019m proud to join forces with Reps. Kilmer, Timmons, and Wenstrup to begin the process of adding it to the Constitution.\u201d\n\n\u201cOur proposal solves two concerns. For one, it would ensure the continuity of the legislative branch during times of crisis. And second, because our proposal requires representatives to provide a list of designees who are qualified to serve in their place \u2013 almost assuredly from their own party \u2013 it would reduce the incentive for political violence,\u201d said Rep. Kilmer. \u201cThe risks may be low. But if something catastrophic were to happen, the impacts would be immense. If Congress fails to enact a legitimate continuity plan, the American people will be left wondering why \u2013 in the world\u2019s leading democracy \u2013 there was no plan to protect our most sacred democratic institutions.\u201d\n\n\u201cIn 2017, I was on the baseball field when a violent, gun-wielding extremist attempted to alter the balance of power in the House of Representatives by assassinating Republican Members of Congress,\u201d said Rep. Wenstrup. \u201cWith what I witnessed that day, I believe it\u2019s necessary that we as a body act now to ensure that should tragedy strike, God forbid, the House is able to continue the people\u2019s work and preserve the continuity of government. That is why I\u2019m proud to join Rep. Kilmer in supporting this effort and drive the conversation.\u201d\n\n\u201cOn a day like the State of the Union Address, I am reminded of how important it is that the American people have continued representation in the People\u2019s House even during times of crisis,\u201d said Rep. Timmons. \u201cAlthough it is an uncomfortable issue to consider, we would be derelict in our duty if we did not ensure that the proper tools are in place so Congress can continue to do its job on behalf of the American people. Our amendment proposal addresses this issue to ensure the House remains strong and ready to serve in times of crisis.\u201d\n\n\u201cOver the past twenty years, two different Continuity of Government Commissions have identified a key weakness in the House: vacancies are not filled for months,\u201d said John Fortier, AEI and Executive Director, Continuity of Government Commission. \u201cFilling House vacancies with a temporary appointment until a special election can be held ensures that the House will be representative of the people and able to act even after great emergencies.\u201d\n\n\u201cCongress has put its head in the sand for too long when it comes to continuity of government, which is critical to ensuring all Americans have representation in the policymaking process,\u201d said J.D. Rackey, Senior Policy Analyst for Structural Democracy, Bipartisan Policy Center. \u201cWithout a plan for continuity, we are leaving the political balance of power in Congress up to chance. Through this constitutional amendment, Representatives Kilmer, Timmons, Wenstrup, and Cleaver provide a workable, bipartisan solution to keep the legislative branch operating in the event of a vacancy or national crisis. Ensuring that no American is denied representation in the U.S. House of Representatives is imperative to preserving our democracy.\u201d\n\n\u201cIn these days of heightened political violence and hyper-partisanship, unfortunately, the threat of a mass casualty event that could flip the majority from one party to the other, is very real,\u201d said Peter M. Weichlein, CEO, Association of Former Members of Congress. \u201cEven more concerning is that this is not only a threat, but actually an incentive to use violence in order to change the outcome of an election. A recent poll of the membership of the Former Members of Congress Association found that almost 90% of our Members, regardless of party, considered political violence the main concern heading into the 2024 election. It is therefore extremely important that Members of Congress like Representative Kilmer and Representative Timmons are thinking through and offering solutions as we navigate the highly volatile world we live in.\u201d\n\nThe Continuity Amendment aims to improve the continuity plan for the House of Representatives, especially in the case of unexpected vacancies. The amendment proposes:\n\nPre-Designated Replacement: Each newly elected representative would be required to provide a list of at least five individuals who are qualified to serve in their place in the event of their death during their term.\n\nQuick Replacement Process: Should a representative pass away, the governor of their state must select a replacement from the provided list within 10 days.\n\nTemporary Service: The chosen individual from the list would then serve as a representative on a temporary basis until a special election can be held to elect a new member.\n\nBy improving the continuity plan for the U.S. House of Representatives, the proposal aims to address two main issues:\n\nContinuity of the Legislative Branch: The proposal ensures that the legislative process can continue without significant disruption during times of crisis by quickly filling vacancies.\n\nReducing the Incentive for Political Violence: Representatives\u2019 replacements will likely come from their own political party, thereby reducing the incentive for targeting members of Congress to change the balance of power.\n\nThe Continuity Amendment emerges from a growing consensus among experts, including the American Enterprise Institute Continuity of Government Commission, which has raised questions about the current rule\u2019s constitutionality and its implications for democratic representation. Concerns have been voiced that the reduced quorum, although intended to ensure the House\u2019s operational continuity, may not withstand judicial scrutiny due to the Constitution\u2019s stringent requirements for representation.\n\nCritics of the existing rule argue that it could lead to a scenario where a small, potentially unrepresentative group of members could make critical decisions during national emergencies. This not only raises constitutional issues but could also erode public trust in governmental institutions and the democratic process.\n\nOfficial text of the Continuity Amendment is available here.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T20:32:04Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://cleaver.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-cleaver-introduces-constitutional-amendment-ensure"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.1266916990280151, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}