Posted on 02/11/2009 8:58:36 AM PST by Perdogg
A Senate committee approved a bill today that would give the District its first full seat in the House of Representatives, setting up a crucial vote by the full chamber sometime in coming months.
The Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee passed the legislation 11 to 1 at its first business meeting in the new Congress. The lone "no" vote was cast by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), the 2008 Republican presidential nominee.
It's not clear when the legislation will reach the Senate floor for what is likely to be the key vote on the measure. In 2007, a similar bill died in the Senate after falling three votes short of the 60 needed to head off a filibuster. But proponents believe they are now in better shape thanks to Democratic gains in the last election.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
This is unconstitutional, and I don’t see how it can be passed via a simple vote in congress. This would require a constitutional amendment. Someone should file suit against this law as soon as it is passed.
This is laughably unconstitutional. Under the Constitution, government was specifically to be denied representation.
The Constitution specifically says that DC is NOT a state. An amendment is defiinitely needed to garner constitutionality. But I expect the Democrats to simply ignore the Constitution.
This will save ACORN (The Black, racist political organization) some of the $4.2 billion of taxpayers money they're to receive in the stimulus package.
Heritage Foundation analysis : http://www.heritage.org/research/legalissues/wm1569.cfm
Conclusion
Lawmakers need to reconsider their proposal to grant the District of Columbia representation in Congress by legislation. The plan runs afoul of a commonsense understanding of the Constitution, the intentions of the Founders, and more than two centuries of interpretation by legislators and the courts. If they seek to allow congressional representation for District residents, they should instead examine proposals that do justice to principles of republican governance and the Constitution.
Unconstitutional. It will never be implemented.
They will just ignore it like they always do.
Bush was a complete and total disaster. He is ******* scum and nothing more.
In hindsight, (considering the GOP Congress), Al Gore would have been a better choice, only because we would have had gridlock.
“Compassionate conservatism” is socialism lite.
Totally un-Constitutional!! A travesty. Catering to Comrade Zero’s cronies. DC has had no vote for two centuries and Demoncrats what to pervert this
When was DC granted Statehood??? Unconstitutional.
This is another piece of Rahm’s grand plan to consolidate power in the Dem party. Ballot stuffing and dead [people voting is soooo yesterday, now we’re going to redistrict by stealing the census and then make new states?
Over my cold hard dead body.
These people are trying to move at lightening speed, aren’t they? The audacity of audacity.
True, but they are being taxed without representation right now.
The parasite party wipes its butt with it.
It's all about FDR style raw power and the Constitution be damned
With one representative in the House, can two Senators be far behind?
Then on to Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, US Virgin Islands!
Constitution?
They don’t need no steenkin’ Constitution...
“True, but they are being taxed without representation right now.”
They can move less than five miles and get both.
Or, maybe, don’t tax people living in DC. That would be constitutional. How many pay how much tax now?
Republican Members of the Committee:
http://hsgac.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?Fuseaction=About.Membership
Susan M. Collins Ranking Member (ME)
Tom Coburn (OK)
John McCain (AZ)
George V. Voinovich (OH)
John Ensign (NV)
Lindsey Graham (SC)
Constitution? They don't need no stinking Constitution (said in heavy Spanish accent).
For a reason... Go read the Constitution. DC is a Federal District (seat of our national government) and as such is supposed to be neutral, non-political, therefore no Senators and Reps
Plus DC gets tons of Federal money, lots more than they pay in taxes
If that happens they get two Senators, also. Another attempt to permanently improve the Democratic majority.
The single representative is the first step. Kind of like the dopers getting your teenager hooked on pot before crack.
But I think it won’t work. DC is a Federal District defined in the Constitution, if I recall. So an Amendment would be required.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.