D.C. Voting Rights Passed by Senate Committee

Washington Post ^ | Wednesday, February 11, 2009; 11:02 AM

[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.

[meandog]

Bush was a complete and total disaster...

Couldn't have said it better myself. Thank you!

[Califreak]

> The lone “no” vote was cast by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), the 2008 Republican presidential nominee.<

Hmm.

Reaching across the aisle?

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

I still wonder why that for voting purposes they couldn’t just evenly split DC voters between the closest Maryland and Virginia districts.

[AuH2ORepublican]

I cannot believe that Dr. Tom Coburn would have voted for such an obviously unconstitutional bill. If McCain was the lone “no” vote, then Coburn must have been absent. I hope Ensign was absent, too. As for Collins, Voinovich and Lindsey Graham, I wouldn’t be shocked if they actually voted for that ridiculous bill.

[RetroSexual]

But where do we even hope to begin? There are so many similar bills being rammed through, we cannot possibly even slow them down. And the Amerikan publik are so far gone, they don’t care.

American Idol is on tonight!

[Repeal 16-17]

The Commiecrats are hoping Justice Kennedy is on their side. They, and we, already know how the rest of the Justices would vote.

Screwing with the Census, passing Socialist (Communist?) legislation and now trying to give a non-State full representation in the House. The D's are playing with fire and, if they aren't careful, they may face a rebellion by many States (copy & paste link below).

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?pageId=88218

[trumandogz]

[Wonder Warthog]

"I’m just saying there is a way they can get senators and representatives while staying within the framework of the Constitution."

Nope. The 23rd Amendment has nothing to do with it. The establishment and definition of DC is part of the original Constitution, and it is, by definition, NOT a state. And I see no way it can legitimately be considered a state unless an amendment is passed to allow it.

"The Congress shall have Power To… exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such Dis­trict (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the Acceptance of Con­gress, become the Seat of the Gov­ernment of the United States… (The U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 8, Clause 17)"

[EDINVA]

Didn’t DC have a vote in the House in the pre-1995 Congress?

[CougarGA7]

Ok. I was looking in the ammendments and forgot about that establishment in the meat of the Constitution itself. Yeah, with that in there it’s pretty hard to make it a state without ammendment. I stand corrected.

[Repeal 16-17]

Didn’t DC have a vote in the House in the pre-1995 Congress?

It did, and has since 2007, but it is only symbolic. The delegates (of D.C. and the territories) only vote when (1) it's not on final passage and (2) the result would have been the same even without those votes.

[rabscuttle385]

I wonder how those ‘conservatives’ who stayed home in 2006 and 2008 feel now?

I have zero regrets about sending the Republicans to the corner for a time out after their Big Government spending orgy. And the party can stay there until it finally learns that it doesn't own my vote and that it must earn my vote by actually walking the walk instead of just talking the talk.

[rabscuttle385]

If McCain’s was the only no vote, then Miss Lindsay must have either voted yes or not at all. Somebody, please investigate.

[WayneS]

If Congress CARED about that document, yes.

So, no.

[WayneS]

Face it.

Rush was wrong for the last 8 years.

[WayneS]

Next year.

[WayneS]

BUT!

Once they become a state they can no longer be the seat of the federal government.

[WayneS]

And in 2004 the only other choice was John Kerry.

Fair enough. But that STILL doesn't make George W. Bush and his Republicrat buddies Conservatives.

[WayneS]

I have to admit, if “Fat Al” HAD won in 2000, we’d most likely have a Consevative as our President right NOW.

[WayneS]

That is by their choice.

The “rules” for the District are quite clearly laid out in the Constitution. No one but the President HAS to live there.

They can always move to a state.