Texas Senators Could Be Recalled Under New Proposal

Senator John Cornyn at a Senate Intelligence Committee meeting in Washington, DC on March 11, 2024 (left) and Senator Ted Cruz speaking at a bus tour campaign rally at The Barn venue on October 18, 2024 in Waco, Texas. A bill introduced to the Texas Legislature would allow state lawmakers to recall either of their senators midterm. MANDEL NGAN/AFP/BRANDON BELL/GETTY

A Texas Republican has introduced a bill to the state legislature which would allow either of the state's Senators to be recalled midterm.

Under state Rep. Brian Harrison's proposal either of Texas's senators could be recalled by a simple majority in both chambers of the Texas Legislature. Harrison argued the legislation, Texas House Bill 1267, would "ensure our U.S. Senators serve the best interest of the State of Texas."

Texas is currently represented in the upper chamber of Congress by Senators Ted Cruz and John Cornyn, both of whom are significant figures within the national Republican Party. On November 5 Cruz was re-elected for a third Senate term beating Democratic challenger Collin Allred with 53.1 percent of the vote against 44.5 percent. On Wednesday Cornyn failed in his bid to become the next Senator majority leader, losing out to John Thune of South Dakota.

Texas House Bill 1267 states that either Texas senator "is subject to recall by a majority vote of each house of the Texas Legislature." Should a recall vote be successful the relevant office would become vacant on the same day.

In a statement Harrison said: "Our founders intended U.S. Senators to represent the interests of the sovereign states and safeguard against federal overreach.

"Unfortunately, since the 17th Amendment, many have become beholden to DC special interests and complicit in the erosion of liberty and acceleration of America's move to a post-constitutional ere...

"We must empower Texans to ensure our U.S. Senators serve the best interest of the State of Texas."

Newsweek contacted state Rep. Brian Harrison, Senator Ted Cruz and Senator John Cornyn for comment via email on Thursday outside of regular office hours.

The 17th Amendment, which was ratified in 1913, states that "the Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, elected by the people thereof, for six years."

In the statement he released in support of Texas House Bill 1267 Harrison added: "The federal government was intended to be a creation of and responsive to the sovereign states. However, as conservative legal scholars have long recognized, the 10th Amendment rights of states and the people have significantly diminished since the adoption of the 17th Amendment."

He continued: "The rate of unconstitutional encroachments by the federal government on state sovereignty has continued to increase...It is necessary to restore the appropriate balance of power between the sovereign State of Texas and the federal government. HB 1267 does this by restoring the original constitutional design that federal senators serve the best interest of the State of Texas."

November 5 saw a boost for Texas nationalists at ten Republican candidates who had signed the Texas First Pledge, which committed them to supporting a referendum on the state becoming a fully independent nation, were elected to the state legislature.

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