BRIDGE to Congress Resolution
H. Res. 28, the BRIDGE to Congress Resolution, is a House Rules resolution introduced January 9, 2025 by Rep. Perez (for herself and Rep. Golden of Maine). It aims to change House procedural rules governing witness testimony at committee proceedings. Specifically, it would remove the restriction that witnesses may appear remotely only at the discretion of the chair. By amending Section 3(i)(1) of House Resolution 5 (the current rules package agreed to January 3, 2025) the resolution broadens the ability of witnesses to testify remotely, not just subject to the chair’s discretionary approval. In short, if adopted, this would make remote input from witnesses at committee hearings more accessible by reducing the chair’s gatekeeping role. This is a procedural rule change inside the House (a resolution, not a statute), and its practical effect will depend on subsequent floor action and any further rulemaking by the Rules Committee and the House as a whole.
Key Points
- 1Elimination of the chair-discretion gate: The bill seeks to remove the restriction that witnesses may appear remotely only at the discretion of the chair of the committee.
- 2Specific legal change: The amendment targets Section 3(i)(1) of House Resolution 5 by striking the phrase “at the discretion of the chair of the committee and,” thereby broadening remote testimony eligibility.
- 3Short/long title: Cites the BRIDGE to Congress Resolution as both the short and long-form name for this measure.
- 4Status and sponsorship: Introduced January 9, 2025, by Rep. Perez (for herself and Rep. Golden of Maine) and referred to the House Rules Committee.
- 5Scope and applicability: Applies to proceedings of House committees; the effect depends on the House adopting the resolution and any accompanying rule changes by the Rules Committee.