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Texas State Senator Brian Birdwell will once again carry a political heavyweight bill in the Texas Senate by authoring the Convention of States resolution, which provides a means to rein in the abuses of the federal government.

The resolution, exactly the same as the 84th session's House Joint Resolution 77, calls for an Article V Convention of States limited to proposing amendments to the United States Constitution that:

- impose fiscal restraints on the federal government

- limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government
- limit the terms of office for its officials and for members of Congress

When it comes to duty and service to country, Texas State Senator Brian Birdwell has consistently demonstrated courage, loyalty, and statesmanship to his sworn oath, which states in part that he “will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same.”

Senator Birdwell, a Texas native, graduated from the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps program at Lamar University (Beaumont, TX) in 1984, with a degree in criminal justice.  He also earned a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City in 1996.

As a commissioned field artillery officer, Brian served at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, in 1984, where he also met long-time friend Lt. Col. Allen West.

In 1990, officer Birdwell deployed to the Middle East in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.  He served with the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment at the Battle of 73 Easting in Iraq (the last great tank battle of the 20th century), where the 7th Corps attacked the Iraqi Republican Guard forces.  Brian earned a Bronze Star for his efforts during the battle.

Continuing his service, officer Birdwell assisted in humanitarian aid operations in Central America after Hurricane Mitch struck in 1998.

On assignment as a military aide to the Deputy Chief of Staff for Installation Management at the Pentagon, Brian was critically burned over 60% of his body on September 11, 2001, when American Airlines Flight 77 deliberately crashed near his office during the terrorist attacks.  When visited in the hospital by Commander-In-Chief President George W. Bush, officer Birdwell struggled to return the President's salute with his badly burned right arm.  Senator Birdwell and his wife Mel relate their story, and their sustaining faith in God, in their book “Refined by Fire”.

Senator Birdwell has served Texas Senate District 22 since winning a special election in June of 2010.  During his tenure in the Texas Legislature, he has authored significant legislation, including the Campus Carry bill (Senate Bill 11) which he guided to passage during the 84th Texas Legislative Session.

Since 2011, Senator Birdwell has studied, with great deliberation, the process of calling an Article V Convention of States.  He has moved from having “great reservations”, through “growing increasingly in favor of such an action”, then recognizing the Convention of States Article V effort as having the most “firepower”, and finally concluding with his unqualified support in May of 2015.

Lt. Governor Dan Patrick has publicly stated that Senator Birdwell is called upon to carry the “heavy” legislation in the Senate; our Convention of States resolution certainly qualifies as “heavy”, and Senator Birdwell has proven himself, time and again, more than capable of seeing a bill through the process to achieve passage.

Senator Birdwell's support is a blessing to our efforts in Texas.  As an honored veteran, he continues his service to Texas and our nation as our primary author.  Please continue to lift him up in your prayers.

With Representative Rick Miller as primary author in the Texas House, Texas becomes the only state in the nation where both primary authors are veterans!

https://youtu.be/jgYv-buU0bs

Texas State Senator Brian Birdwell's Testimony

Monday, May 25, 2015 (Memorial Day)

Texas Senate State Affairs Committee Hearing