A U.S. House resolution condemning the New Mexico governor for her temporary gun ban has stalled

A U.S. House of Representatives resolution that would condemn Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham for her controversial temporary ban on carrying firearms in public in Bernalillo County has apparently stalled before reaching the chamber’s floor.

The resolution, introduced by U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Wash., accuses Lujan Grisham of “subverting the Second Amendment” and makes note of a comment she made during her initial news conference announcing the ban that “no Constitutional right in my view, including my oath, is intended to be absolute.”

“The shocking move from Governor Grisham is a blatant subversion of the U.S. Constitution and a violation of her oath of office,” Newhouse said in a news release. “It strips away the protection of individual rights and freedom, which sets a dangerous precedent for the rights of Central Washingtonians and Americans across our nation.”

On Monday, the resolution passed the House Rules Committee, and was expected to be taken up by the full House on Tuesday.

But that did not happen. The resolution was not taken up on Tuesday or Wednesday, and one Capitol Hill staffer, who asked not to be identified, said the resolution was a distraction as Congress scrambles to avoid a potentially looming shutdown of the federal government.

“House Republicans really rushed to get this resolution through the House Rules Committee on Monday,” the staffer told the Journal. “They had a plan for the House to vote on it on Tuesday, but … they weren’t able to secure the votes to ensure that the bill could be introduced.”

The staffer said late Wednesday the resolution was likely to be voted on Thursday, after passing again through the House Rules Committee. She added that condemning the governor would have no tangible effect.

A Republican spokesperson, who also asked not to be identified by name, told the Journal Wednesday morning that while there “wasn’t a problem specifically with the resolution,” House Republicans assumed it wouldn’t pass, and so on Tuesday they pulled the resolution from the House floor and aimed to pair it with a defense spending bill that was voted down the same day.

The move, the spokesperson said, was to tell members of the House Freedom Caucus that “if you’re voting against the (bill), you’re voting against the Second Amendment.”

The spokesperson added that House Republicans aimed to get the resolution passed Thursday, but if not it “may be moved to next week.”

There was some discussion during Monday’s House Rules Committee meeting about what condemning the governor actually does.

“This resolution, as you all know, does nothing. It will not go to the Senate, it will not go to the president — it’s a press release,” said Rep. James McGovern, D-Mass.

Rep. Tom Tiffany, R-Wis., however, framed the resolution as a “rare opportunity for this body to speak with one voice on an issue where clearly, Democrats and Republicans are in agreement.”

The Republican spokesperson confirmed the resolution takes no tangible action and that the governor would not be stripped of any powers if it were passed, and rather would just be a formal condemnation from Congress.

“The message is clear — that elected officials can’t pick and choose which inalienable rights to uphold,” the spokesperson said. “She swore an oath to defend the Constitution, and she’s clearly not doing that.”

Ahead of the expected vote on the resolution, members of New Mexico’s congressional delegation announced their plans on how they would vote.

“I will vote NO on the GOP’s efforts to undermine New Mexico’s executive and distract from House Republicans’ complete inability to govern and pass a budget as they careen the U.S. government towards a shutdown,” Rep. Melanie Stansbury, D-N.M., said in a statement.

On the other hand, Rep. Gabe Vasquez, D-N.M., said he planned to vote “yes” on the resolution, writing on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, that “as a responsible gun owner, I support common sense solutions that reduce gun violence.”

“We must produce constitutional, legal, and enforceable solutions that will help protect our children and families,” he added.

During Monday’s House Rule Committee, Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández, D-N.M. voted against the resolution, saying that instead of working toward funding the federal government, lawmakers have opted for “attacking the rights of states” like New Mexico.

Last week, a federal judge blocked New Mexico from enforcing the suspension of carrying firearms in public places in Bernalillo County. Two days later, the governor trimmed the order to only banning firearms in public parks and playgrounds.