Fellow Texans:
Greetings! I hope you
all have had a relaxing and rejuvenating summer. It has definitely been an interesting summer with the
presidential campaign already in full swing!
I
recently attended the Summer Meeting of the Republican National Committee, which was held in Minneapolis, Minnesota from August
1-4. As you know, the bridge collapse happened in Minneapolis on August 1, just hours after I had arrived
in the city. The bridge was just a few blocks from our hotel. Thank you to all who expressed
concern. Thankfully, no RNC members or staff were injured, but it was obviously a shock to the city and
the country, and an unimaginable tragedy for those families who lost loved ones. There were some
minor changes to the RNC meeting schedule, but for the most part, the meeting went forward as planned.
Republican for a Reason was the theme of our Summer Meeting.
Beneath that title were listed three bullet points: Strong National Defense, Individual Responsibility,
and Lower Taxes and Less Government. I would say that we can all agree on the importance of
those three priorities!
Republican National Convention
Preparations are well underway for the Republican
National Convention, which will be held in St. Paul, Minnesota at the Xcel Energy Center from September 1-4,
2008. We toured the Xcel Energy Center, which ESPN named the number one sports venue in the country
in 2004. It was built in 2000, and it is called the “X” by fans. It is an
impressive facility, and it looks like it will be a great site for the convention. I stayed in downtown
Minneapolis, and we took a bus to the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. It is normally a 30 minute drive,
but because of the bridge collapse, there was heavier traffic than normal on 95, so it took a little longer. No
decision has yet been made on where the Texas delegation will be housed, as far as I know, but if we end up in Minneapolis,
the drive to St. Paul is fairly short.
Resolutions
Committee Meeting
Thanks
to the perseverance of Arizona State Chairman Randy Pullen, who secured the support of 44 RNC members, the Resolutions Committee
passed a Resolution Urging Immediate Congressional Action to Secure Our Borders. At Randy’s
request, I introduced two friendly amendments to the resolution, and the Chairman of Resolutions amended it, but it passed
unanimously, and went on to be approved by the full body of the general session. Again, thanks to Randy
Pullen, whose resolution was previously defeated in favor of the Crocker Resolution. This time around,
Chairman Pullen wisely sought the support of previous opponents and the leadership of the RNC, and was able to craft a resolution
that ends with the following language:
RESOLVED
that the Members of the Republican National Committee urge that the Congress of the Untied States, as a matter of the highest
priority, take all necessary steps
to provide appropriate authority and means to accomplish the following:
(1) Complete the construction of
the border fencing that has been authorized as expeditiously as is reasonably possible; and
(2) Effectively secure the borders
of the United States to illegal entry by every appropriate additional means, fully equipping and empowering
the Border Patrol and using our National Guard and the U.S. military if necessary.
Another interesting resolution, submitted by Committeeman
Curly Haugland of North Dakota, was defeated by a vote of 6-1. I was the only “aye” vote. This
resolution was entitled “Resolution to Oppose One Vote ’08 Campaign.” The
origin of this resolution comes from the hiring of former Deputy Chairman Jack Oliver by the One Vote ’08 Campaign (onevote08.org). Bill Gates has purportedly funded this effort with a $ 30
million contribution. As you will see on the website, both Democrats and Republicans have been lined up
in support of this campaign. One Vote ’08 seeks to raise money to abolish global poverty.
The RNC, on June 11, 2007, issued a press release entitled “RNC Chairman Urges Support of One Vote ’08.”
Within the press release, the RNC Chairman Robert M. “Mike” Duncan states, “…I am proud to
say that the RNC supports their efforts completely.” Please visit the website to learn more about
the One Vote ’08 campaign. Committeeman Haugland’s concern was that the RNC members had not
voted on whether to support this effort, and yet in the press release it was indicated that the RNC fully supports One Vote
’08.
While
the ultimate goal of defeating poverty is something that we all share, I do not believe that the funds should come from government
but rather from private contributions. This campaign hopes to gain the support of the United States presidential
candidates and our government, purportedly to the tune of 1% of our federal budget, or 30 billion dollars. Another
concern is that this effort seems to be closely affiliated with the United Nations and their “Millennium Development
Goals” as outlined in the United Nations Millennium Declaration. The other members of the Resolutions
Committee questioned the facts as stated in Curly’s resolution, although he had provided a packet of information for
each committee member. I am glad that Curly brought this to our attention, and although his resolution
failed, this brings the issue to light and will hopefully educate the RNC members regarding this One Vote ’08 campaign
and how it will ultimately affect our Republican presidential nominee.
National Committeeman Solomon Yue, in response to all of this discussion, submitted
a resolution entitled, “Resolution Supporting Global Conservative Principles,” in which he reiterates a commitment
to international aid based on conservative principles. That resolution passed unanimously.
Other memorial resolutions were submitted
and passed unanimously.
Rules Committee
The Rules Committee met and discussed reforming of
the primary process. The Delaware Plan was once again considered, as well as alternative plans to make
the primary season more equitable for the candidates and the voters.
General Session
Chairman Mike Duncan presided over the general session on Friday, August 3. In his
opening remarks he pointed out that Republicans got away from our core principles in the last congressional session, but there
is now chaos in Congress with the Democrats in charge.
We approved the election of 26 new state chairmen from around the country and several other new RNC members.
First Lady Laura Bush addressed the members
and revised her planned remarks because of the bridge collapse. She led the RNC members in a moment of
silence to commemorate the victims and pray for the families.
Committee Reports all passed unanimously. The remainder of the meeting was uneventful.
Some scheduled speakers such as Governor Tim Pawlenty canceled because of the bridge tragedy.
The race for the presidency is becoming more and more interesting. It
appears that it is truly a wide open race. If there is not a clear cut winner following the primary elections,
this national convention could actually have the task of choosing the final nominee! Wouldn’t that
be unusual? Stay tuned, and thanks for all that you do for the GOP.
Denise McNamara
