Plan would give D.C. a House vote

Los Angeles Slimes ^ | 11/22/2006 | Johanna Neuman,

[bilhosty]

For decades, efforts to give the District of Columbia a voting representative in Congress have run into a brick wall. Constitutional amendments failed to win the states' support. Ad campaigns about "taxation without representation" did not help the cause. Now, unexpected political forces are aligning behind a plan to give the district a House vote — along with a new seat in Congress for Utah — when lawmakers return for their lame-duck session in early December. "This is closest we've come in at least 30 years," said Ilir Zherka, executive director of DC Vote, an umbrella lobbying group. "The stars are aligned on this." The unlikely union of the District of Columbia and Utah is the brainchild of Rep. Thomas M. Davis III (R-Va.). Davis, who represents the district's Virginia suburbs, said he offered his proposal to "take the partisanship out of this."

[bilhosty]

This is just stupid. Why should The Republicans give themselves and DC another house seat. When they will get it anyway from The Dem's in 2111 reaportionment. This actually gives the Dem's two seats one now and another one in 2012. And all we get is 1 in Utah that would of gone to us anyway.

[misterrob]

Who represents the people in DC?

[OldFriend]

Eleanor Holmes Norton. Racist, numbskull

[Dick Bachert]

Elenor Holmes Norton.

The Dems simply can't resist the temptation to add all those DC welfare voters to their side of the legalized plunder ledger.

[fieldmarshaldj]

"When they will get it anyway from The Dem's in 2111"

Think there will still be a U.S. that year ? =8-0

[So Cal Rocket]

How is this even Constitutional?

The Constitution clearly states that "States" get representatives in the House.

The Constitution also clearly states that the seat of the Federal Government, the District of Columbia, is not a "State".

[bilhosty]

Who cares.the Dem's just want to grab power and in the last election we saw them using every dirty trick imaginable. We have to stop being nice.

[cll]

If DC (500,000+ residents}gets a vote on the House floor, then the Territories Puerto Rico, Guam, the US Virgin Islands and American Samoa(4,000,000+ residents, all American citizens as well) better get their full seats too.

Before you start Puerto Rico's current delegate is a Republican and we do pay federal taxes (social security, medicare and unemployment).

[Sarvana]

DC has a nonvoting delegate in the house, and no representation in the senate.

[bilhosty]

We might consider enlarging the District of Columbia to give it more clout.We could include the suburbs in Maryland and Virginia. How would the Dem's like that. Now that would be a bipartisan approach. But, I suspect they would not like that, now would they!

[mountainfolk]

And so it begins. The RAT party also wants statehood for both DC and Puerto Rico. What is the Republican leadership going to do to prevent further erosion of our party, for, as you have said, no good reason? We don't elect Republicans to help build the RAT party.

[gusopol3]

maybe less likely is a Republican Party.

[cll]

"The RAT party also wants statehood for...Puerto Rico."

That is not accurate. The Democrat Party platforms call for "Puerto Rico's right to self-determination", which could be argued as affording the right of the island to choose between statehood, independence or to keep the current status. In practice, however, the Democrats (well, the Kennedy's et al), have historically aligned themselves with the Puerto Rico party that wants to keep things as they are or status quo.

It is worth considering why have leftist Democrats always opposed statehood for Puerto Rico.

Stepping further from the MSM filters, prominent Republican leaders like Reagan, Bush 41, Gingrich and others have called for Puerto Rico's right to be admitted as the 51st state. Some people recognize the political differences between the Puerto Rican enclaves of the north east U.S mainland and the Puerto Ricans from the actual Puerto Rico.

And our current delegate (resident commissioner) is a Republican.

[FlingWingFlyer]

A more accurate headline would have been, "Plan would give D.N.C. an extra House vote."

[D Rider]

Who represents the people in DC?

The same that represent the people of Guam and Puerto Rico

[goldstategop]

Paradoxically enough, with Tom Davis' loss of his chairmanship, this turkey of a proposal is going to go NOWHERE. As it should.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus

[cll]

"Who represents the people in DC?
The same that represent the people of Guam and Puerto Rico"

Huh?

Puerto Rico: Luis Fortuño (R) - http://www.house.gov/fortuno/

[goldstategop]

There is a solution to the problem: Congress can cede the inhabited parts of the District to Virginia or to Maryland. No constitutional amendment is required and D.C's inhabitants would receive both House and Senate representation. That is more than fair.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus

[cll]

Guam: Madeleine Bordallo (D) - http://www.house.gov/bordallo/

[D Rider]

I was speaking of an actual vote that is counted. Which is to say nobody or everybody, depending on how you see it.