Resolution Supporting Censure of Congressman Tony Gonzales by the SREC

April 6, 2023 /   /  Resolution

WHEREAS, The Medina County Republican Party, at its February 7, 2023 Executive Committee meeting, passed a “Resolution of Censure of United States Congressman Tony Gonzales” which identified, among other grievances, the following five actions taken during the current biennium (which began on June 18, 2022, when the 2022 Republican Party of Texas Convention adjourned sine die having adopted its rules) in violation of the Principles and Legislative Priorities of the Republican Party of Texas:

  1. Congressman Tony Gonzales voted (House Roll Call #373 at 7-19-2022 5:53 pm) with the Democratic Majority in favor of the “Respect for Marriage” Act (H.R. 8404, co-sponsored by 189 Democrats and no Republicans).  The measure called for the repeal of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, a bill that recognized marriage as exclusively between one man and one woman.  The Respect for Marriage Act would establish federal protections for gay marriage and require that same-sex marriage be viewed as valid and legal in all governmental proceedings.  Congressman Tony Gonzales was the only Texas Republican to vote in favor of supporting gay marriage. This action violated the RPT’s sixth core principle, namely, preserving “self-sufficient families, founded on the traditional marriage of a natural man and a natural woman.”
  • Congressman Tony Gonzales voted a second time (House Roll Call #513 at 12-8-22 11:11 am) with the Democratic Majority in favor of the “Respect for Marriage” Act (H.R. 8404, co-sponsored by 189 Democrats and no Republicans). Congressman Tony Gonzales was once again the only Texas Republican to vote in favor of supporting gay marriage. This action violated the RPT’s sixth core principle, namely, preserving “self-sufficient families, founded on the traditional marriage of a natural man and a natural woman.”
  • Congressman Tony Gonzales voted Nay on H.R. 5 (House Roll Call #23 at 1-9-2023 7:05 pm):  “Adopting the Rules of the House of Representative for the one hundred eighteenth Congress and for other purposes.” Congress Tony Gonzales was the only Republican in the United States to vote with the Democrats against the rules package presented by Speaker Kevin McCarthy and his leadership team, thereby endangering the hard-won Republican majority control of Congress and the victories earned by conservative Congressmen, including his colleagues from Texas, through both cooperation and negotiation with the incoming leadership team. The vote cast against the new Rules violated the RPT’s third, fourth, fifth and ninth core principles:

3. “Preserving individual, Texan, and American sovereignty and freedom.” The Rules provide for a vote on a resolution to establish a “Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government,” an urgent priority in the wake of efforts by the federal agencies to undermine and conduct baseless investigations against the Trump administration;

4. “Limiting government power to those items enumerated in the United States and Texas Constitutions.” The Rules require all bills to include a statement citing the Constitutional authority given to Congress to enact such a bill, ensuring that all laws passed by the House of Representatives are limited to the specific powers granted to Congress by the Constitution. Additionally, a new inclusion to the Rules requires single-subject statements to prevent riders that are unrelated to the overall purpose of each bill;

5. “Personal accountability and responsibility.” The Rules restore the ability for Members to hold leadership accountable by allowing for a single member to make a motion to vacate the chair. This motion was in place prior to Nancy Pelosi’s Speakership in 2019, when she eliminated it. Additionally, the Rules repeal a resolution passed by the previous Democratic majority that granted staffers in the House of Representatives the ability to unionize, which would endanger the accountability of Congressional staff to the elected Representatives for whom they serve;

9. “A free enterprise society unencumbered by government interference or subsidies.” The Rules established a “cut-as-you-go” budgetary process that required budgetary offsets to increases in mandatory spending, replacing a “pay-as-you-go” rule that allowed for spending increases to be offset by tax increases. The Rules also require the Congressional Budget Office to incorporate known macroeconomic effects of major legislation, such as changes in employment and inflation, to official cost estimates. The Rules eliminated the provision allowing for automatic increases to the debt ceiling, leaving in place that important tool for accountability and control of ever-increasing government debt; and

  • Congressman Tony Gonzales has failed to support H.R. 29 (filed 1-9-2023) Border Safety and Security Act of 2023: “To authorize the Secretary of homeland Security to suspend the entry of aliens, and for other purposes” sponsored by Texas Representative Chip Roy and co-sponsored by 49 other Republicans.  Congressman Tony Gonzales’s district encompasses 843 miles of Texas border, the largest of any other district, yet he is the only Texas Republican not supporting this bill. Congressman Tony Gonzales has gone on the record opposing this legislation, in opposition to the Republican Party of Texas #2 Legislative Priority, which is to “secure the border and protect Texans.” While opposing this legislation, Congressman Gonzales has falsely stated that the legislation would ban “all asylum, to include legitimate asylum,” and has repeated the Democratic canard that supporters of border security are “anti-immigrant.”
  • On June 24, 2022, Congressman Gonzales voted in favor of S. 2938, the “Bipartisan Safer Communities Act,” which subsidizes red flag laws, imposes additional restrictions on otherwise legal owners of firearms, and expands background checks. This bill, which violates our Second Amendment rights, was signed into law by President Biden on June 25, 2022. Congressman Gonzales’s votes in favor of this law violate Principle 1, “…and we support the strict adherence to the original language and intent of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitutions of the United States and of Texas,” and Principle 8, “the inalienable right of all people to defend themselves and their property”, and

WHEREAS, The Medina County Republican Party Executive Committee passed the resolution of censure of Congressman Tony Gonzales with both a 2/3 majority of those present and voting and a 50% majority of all precinct chairs, even those not in attendance; and

WHEREAS, in its resolution of censure, the Medina County Republican Party requested that the SREC “concur in this resolution of censure” and that the SREC “impose on Congressman Tony Gonzales, the full set of penalties provided in Rule 44 of the Rules of the Republican Party of Texas”, and

WHEREAS, on February 11, 2023, the Resolutions Committee of the SREC voted 9-1 to move a resolution concurring with Medina County’s censure of Congressman Tony Gonzales to a vote by the full SREC at its next quarterly meeting on March 4, 2023; now

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Real County Republican Party concurs with the violations of principle stated in the censure of Congressman Tony Gonzales passed by the Medina County Republican Party and expresses its approval of their action to censure; and,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Real County Republican Party urges the SREC to approve its resolution censuring Tony Gonzales under RPT Rule 44, and encourages the SREC to impose all applicable penalties available under Rule 44, including publishing its resolution to censure the Congressman within District 23 and discouraging him from participating in the 2024 Republican Primary; and,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this Resolution is not intended to initiate a new Rule 44 censure process against Tony Gonzales, only to express the support of the Real County Republican Party for the ongoing action initiated by the Medina County Republican Party.

PASSED by the Real County Republican Party County Executive Committee on this 9th day of February 2023.

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