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, the District of Columbia is not a state. To amend the Constitution, it must pass a 2/3 approval in both the House and Senate and be ratified by 3/4 of the legislatures of the 50 states.
I swear on all that I love that I didn't see your post until after I sent my reply. What are the chances of that? I Guess, great minds think alike. Sorry!
Yeah right, when have the Dems allowed the Constitution to get in the way of their will? They will pass the law then challenge the Court to deny, i.e. disenfranchise, several hundred thousand minority voters their representation.
Cloward-Piven and Alinsky. Overwhelm the system and flood all this stuff now including gun bils etc etc.
Yes, but that applies to the city as a whole...there is still the issue of individuals not being properly represented.
I would be fine with getting a pass on my Federal taxes, though :)
“How many pay how much tax now?”
I suspect the district is getting a whole lot more in tax-paid benefits than its citizens pay.
But, but, but he SAVED our butts from attack /sarc ... and, don't you know, Rush also said GWB would achieve a great legacy some day because of it. LOL!
"Mission Accomplished" Bush, just like his "Read My Lips" old man, were boils on the great history of this nation. True, they weren't as bad as cancer sores like Clinton and Carter but they still provided an ugly blimish for freedom-loving libertarians and conservatives.
RINO! /sarc
And don't forget us folks down here in American Samoa, either!
I would only support this if the most conserative state in the union were also spilt in two, thereby giving us a new permanent rep as well.
I might be wrong about this but I thought the House was limited to its current number of members, regardless of the increase in population. Therefore, should D.C. get a congresscritter, it has to come from the currently-represented citizens in term of dilution of their voice. Admittedly it is a small dilution but it is not without cost. Not to mention the costs of another congresscritter, the staff and other benefits.
it is in direct violation of the constitution of the united states....it is the WRONG thing to do...period
The bill would permanently expand the 435-member House by two seats. One would go to the overwhelmingly Democratic District, and the other to the state next in line to pick up a seat based on population. For the next few years, that state would be Utah, which leans Republican.
Democrats, who generally support the D.C. vote legislation, currently hold a 58-41 advantage in the Senate. Many Republicans are opposed to the bill, saying it violates the Constitution and could lead eventually to two Senate seats for the District.
Jim Manley, a spokesman for Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.), said the senator “will try and get it to the floor as quickly as we can.” That could take weeks or even months, though, because of a congressional schedule jammed with priorities such as the economic stimulus package, the 2009 budget and the bank bailout.
At least the reporter MENTIONED the Constitution.
It's bullshit issue. Please consult history and the Constitution. How come DC has had no Reps or Senators for 200+ years? There is a reason and you need to find out why instead of reciting a brain dead mantra of representation
What are you talking about. District of Columbia residence do NOT pay ANY state tax. So they are not paying tax without representation. They do pay city tax though, which is a different issue.
I think they need an Amendment....and good luck with that.
WTF does homeland security have to do with what districts get representation in Congress?
The Democrat Shadow Government is here in full force.
========I wonder how those conservatives who stayed home in 2006 and 2008 feel now?=======
I feel great. We desperately needed to clean house.
Did you see Arlen Specter’s vote for the stimulus? Did you see the McCain camp’s smears of Sarah?
I’m certain I made the right choice. Screw these blue blood rockefeller republicans. If we’re on a train ride to socialism, then lets go. If we’re gonna get off this train, then we better get off. But these fools want to pussyfoot around and go slowly down the train tracks to the exact same place. I don’t have time to go out and vote in favor of socialism by a thousand cuts.
Wonder why they even picked her? I mean she was hardly known at all; happy and content just to govern the least populous state in the union and McCain had the gall to choose and elevate her to notoriety! And now she's the conservative front-runner for the 2012 race! That McCain, what a jerk!
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