Bill would ban illegal immigrants from count that determines House seats

ktvq.com ^ | 23 May 2006

[11th_VA]

HELENA Representative Denny Rehberg has introduced legislation that would exclude illegal immigrants from the population counts that determine the number of U-S House seats each state receives.

Rehberg says counting illegal immigrants as part of the population skews Congressional representation.

His bill is the House companion to similar legislation introduced in the Senate earlier this month by Senator Conrad Burns.

Rehberg says Montana is the largest congressional district in the country, based on population, with 940-thousand residents. The average House district has 650-thousand residents.

The bill, if passed, would shift House seats from growing border states to smaller states with lower immigrant populations.

[11th_VA]

This might pass ...

[no dems]

I like it but it will never pass. Congressmen from states like California, Texas and Florida will kill it.

[Enterprise]

Great idea!!!!!

[umgud]

This might pass ...

I hope you are right, but please give us some details on your optimism.

[sinkspur]

This might pass ...

Not a chance.

[BostonianRightist]

I still say we only count registered voters.

[aliquando]

I guess that I must be ignorant in this area. Why the hell do they count now?

[11th_VA]

I hope you are right, but please give us some details on your optimism.

I was trying to do a quick count of House votes in border states - I don't think they make up a majority

[Gordongekko909]

It's based on the census, which is done every 10 years. If you live in a state and respond to the census, you get counted. I don't think the census asks if you're a citizen, but I could be wrong, and I don't think the census bureau tracks fraud too carefully. They only seem to care if you don't respond or if you respond in a manner that is obviously BS.

[NapkinUser]

You sound like you don't want it to pass.

[EagleUSA]

Congressmen from states like California, Texas and Florida will kill it.
----
Absolutely. The libs have been using this nasty little "trick" for some time to create voting and population advantage for their purposes...

[ROCKLOBSTER]

They should count them as they slap on the cuffs.

[Fenris6]

Well, if illegals will count toward the EC, then I see no reason why I shouldn't vote 3 or 4 times myself.

[SandRat]

BorderPing

[TeleStraightShooter]

I like the concept, but Section2 of the 14th amendment might think otherwise

Section. 2. Representatives shall be apportioned among the several States according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons in each State, excluding Indians not taxed.
...

Illegals aliens are persons {Dred Scott notwithstanding /sarcasm};
They could be classified as Indians, but some pay taxes.....

[TexasTransplant]

14th Amendment is ripe and low hanging, it is also were we can solve the "Anchor Baby" problem

TT

[Prost1]

I thought they were already excluded. Only citizens can have representatives and only citizens can be counted in the population. Illegals, according to the law, are supposed to be deported.

And let's remember, the 14th Amendment gave CITIZENSHIP to slaves, and the 15th gave the right to vote based on their CITIZENSHIP status created by the 14th.

Prior to that, they were Non-Citizens, they were Slaves.
So, CONGRESS, in its wisdom has DEFINED in some US CIVIL CODE the meaning of PERSON, so that the laws apply to just about everyone and everything.

There is an argument to be made that CONGRESS can make any definition it wants.
However, it is not binding on the EXECUTIVE or Judiciary because it is not part of the Constitution.

I'm digressing here, because this gets to Arlen Specter's ideas about NSA and "surveillance" being against the law because it targets PERSONS as defined by Congress.

Enemies of this (or any country) are subject to the military laws and treason laws. They do have have SPECIAL STATUS! That means, they are not covered by the Constitution of this or any Land. (Arlen, read your constitutional history!)

Illegals are in a similarly category in that they are under the authority of their home country and are only subject to deportation if they have not broken any other laws.

They do not have any Legal Rights, meaning they do not have a right to a TRIAL BY THEIR PEERS! Were that the case, we would have to get a bunch of other Illegals to sit in Judgment!
(Arlen, do you understand the word ABSURD?)

Good night!

[AZRepublican]

See: History of the Apportionment Clause

[malia]

And this is where the 'you can't ask if someone is a citizen of the US' when a person wants to register to vote.