H.Res. 477

119 HRES 477 IH: Establishing the Select Committee on President Biden’s Cognitive Decline.
 U.S. House of Representatives
 2025-06-04
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 IV  119th CONGRESS  1st Session  H. RES. 477  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
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 ).
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.