Authorizing Representation By the Senate Legal Counsel in the Case of Desmond Bellard V. Ronald Wyden, U.S. Senator

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, this resolution concerns a lawsuit filed in the Oregon Supreme Court against Senator Wyden. That suit was brought by an individual, Desmond Bellard, who is representing himself without the assistance of an attorney and is attempting to use a civil action known as quo warranto to remove Senator Wyden from office for alleged State campaign finance violations in the 2022 election. This suit challenges the Senator's right to be seated in the Senate, an issue which the U.S. Constitution commits exclusively to the Senate.

This resolution would authorize the Senate legal counsel to represent Senator Wyden named as a respondent in this suit in order to remove the case to Federal court and seek its dismissal on the basis of the constitutional commitment to the Senate of the power to seat and remove its Members, the Speech or Debate Clause, and the lack of jurisdiction under Oregon's quo warranto statute.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. THUNE. 74 and 75, the mandatory quorum calls be waived and they ripen at 1 a.m., Friday, April 11; further if cloture is invoked on Calendar No. 74, all post-cloture time be expired and the Senate vote on confirmation of the nomination; further, if cloture is invoked on Calendar No. 75, all postcloture time be expired and the Senate vote on confirmation of the nomination; finally, if confirmed, the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source