District Gets Right to Vote in the House

[BlingBling]

I am surprised that the main stream media has not paid attention to Resolution H. Res. 78 was adopted 226-191 on Jan. 24, 2007 (roll call #57) by the House of Representatives. Adopted was a rules change to allow several non-members to vote with members of the House of Representatives when the chamber meets as a Committee of the Whole. The new privileges were given to delegates from four U.S. territories and the District of Columbia.

 

SECTION 1. VOTING BY DELEGATES AND RESIDENT COMMISSIONER IN COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE.

 

(a) Permitting Votes To Be Cast- Clause 3(a) of rule III of the Rules of the House of Representatives is amended to read as follows:

 

`3. (a) In a Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union, each Delegate and the Resident Commissioner shall possess the same powers and privileges as Members of the House. Each Delegate and the Resident Commissioner shall be elected to serve on standing committees in the same manner as Members of the House and shall possess in such committees the same powers and privileges as the other members of the committee.'.

 

( Appointment of Chair- The first sentence of clause 1 of rule XVIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives is amended by striking `a Chairman' and inserting `a Member, Delegate, or the Resident Commissioner as Chairman'.

 

© Repeating of Certain Votes- Clause 6 of rule XVIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

 

`(h) Whenever a recorded vote on any question has been decided by a margin within which the votes cast by the Delegates and the Resident Commissioner have been decisive, the Committee of the Whole shall rise and the Speaker shall put such question de novo without intervening motion. Upon the announcement of the vote on that question, the Committee of the Whole shall resume its sitting without intervening motion.'.

 

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/C?c110...emp/~c1107rfWsO

[Luke_Wilbur]

BlingBling.

I just got back from Cancun. I did not see your story on CNN. Thanks for the post. You might be interested in reading this.

 

Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) said that she was encouraged by a very good meeting with Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) and Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-SC) on scheduling congressional consideration of H.R. 328, the District of Columbia Fair and Equal House Voting Rights Act. Norton told the leaders that her request for a mark-up in February and floor consideration no later than March would also benefit the calendar, which will fill quickly with appropriations and committee business by early spring. The congressional calendar is lean now because committees are just being organized and have not had time to have the hearings necessary to develop significant bills. Hoyer agreed on a March goal, but said that meetings would be necessary with Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), as well, to get final agreement. A number of issues were discussed at the meeting which the Congresswoman believes are already dealt with in the bill or can be addressed without difficulty. She spent four years addressing Democratic leadership concerns about the bill, which Speaker Pelosi co-sponsored in the last Congress. Norton said that she was prepared to engage in "the same careful problem-solving effort to get the bill to the floor by March."

 

The Congresswoman said that increasing anxiety in the District about any significant delay in the bill concerns the uniqueness of the Utah-D.C. scenario and the approaching census, which will remove this unique bipartisan opportunity. Analysts report that it is highly unlikely that there will soon again be a Republican district like Utah that data shows is definitely due the next seat, willing to be paired with D.C. Utah has nursed almost 10 years of resentment at missing out on a new seat and felt so strongly that the state took the issue to the U.S. Supreme Court. Congress has never increased representation without requiring political balance, most recently in the admissions of Hawaii and Alaska to the Union.

 

Norton said she was confident that the longstanding, high profile Democratic support of D.C. voting rights would bear fruit this year for a seat in the 110th Congress. "I know I speak for the people of my city when I say how deeply we have appreciated the unfailing Democratic support for our rights, from party platforms and presidential leadership to congressional bills and assistance here of all kinds," she said. The Congresswoman said that while her efforts in the Congress are expected, Mayor Adrian Fenty has offered important leadership in channeling the concerns of city residents in the recent announcement of his "Campaign for the D.C. Vote Now." In subsequent conversations, she said the Mayor told her that the first effort in his campaign would be the rally and lobby day he would lead with DC Vote and the civil rights coalition on February 15th.

[Psycho]

Luke,

 

Hope you took some pictures from your vacation and will post them.

 

 

BlingBling.

I just got back from Cancun. I did not see your story on CNN. Thanks for the post. You might be interested in reading this.

[Luke_Wilbur]

I plan to post them in my free time

[Psycho]

I am opposed to the District getting a vote in Congress or statehood!

 

Why?

 

DC is a disgrace to the rest of the USA.

 

It cannot afford itself without matching federal funding.

 

It is probably the most corrupt city in America today.

 

Yada yada yada.

 

MOST IMPORTANTLY, DC was never meant to be a state and when people chose to live here, they accepted that fact and now need to shut up or move back where they came from.

 

 

I plan to post them in my free time

[BlingBling]

I bet that is what the English said about American Colonist making a stink about taxation without proper representation in Parliament.

 

Rees,

I think you would make a good candidate for the Flat Earth Society.

 

http://www.alaska.net/~clund/e_djublonskop...arthsociety.htm

[NelsonJacobsen]

This bill is stalled and some old man who thinks he is a voter counter in 08 believes that giving DC & Utah both a vote now coupled with the chance that Utah could get a vote anywhy after the next census could be a tipping point on the electoral vote in 08.

 

With Bush leading what is left of the GOP or GOD party or both cus they are not the same unless we run a certain senior hill gentleman the Dems will win in 08 and the vote is not going to be close. This will be one of the most bloggedyougoogletubed ajaxed resulted race.

 

4 what its worth.

 

Nelson

[Psycho]

Bling Bling,

 

I disagree with you.

 

One vote in Congress will have little or no impact but giving DC resident tax free status like the territories is a better deal.

 

I bet that is what the English said about American Colonist making a stink about taxation without proper representation in Parliament.

 

Rees,

I think you would make a good candidate for the Flat Earth Society.

 

http://www.alaska.net/~clund/e_djublonskop...arthsociety.htm

[BlingBling]

Currently the District is subject to all tax laws, and pays a higher than average tax per capita, although unrepresented in the national legislature. Having representation in the House will give District cititzens the power to better control its future. The District representative would be to introduce and earmark legislation that better serves the interests of its citizens. In addition, the District representative would be able to vote against legislation in Committee and in the Roll Call. Furthermore, having this type of power will allow the District to make deals with other Representatives in the legislature to get bills passed. Having a voting representative should be our legitimate Right. We are America's "Last Colony."

Edited February 9, 2007 by BlingBling