WP: GOP House Leaders Choose to Let Bill Die: Would have given D.C. a House voting member

[DeepModem Mom]

GOP House Leaders Choose to Let Bill Die
By Mary Beth Sheridan and Yolanda Woodlee
Washington Post Staff Writers
Wednesday, December 6, 2006; Page B10

Republican congressional leaders decided yesterday not to bring to the floor a bill giving the District a full voting member of the House, dooming the measure's chances in this legislative session.

Rep. Thomas M. Davis III (R-Va.), the bill's author, had appealed to his party's leadership to cram in a vote during Congress's lame-duck session, which could end as soon as Thursday. But in a closed-door meeting, House leaders rejected the request.

"There was a certain level of resistance because there were a number of constitutional concerns from members," said Kevin Madden, a spokesman for Rep. John A. Boehner (R-Ohio), the House majority leader. He did not elaborate.

The bill had faced long odds for approval this week, given the time constraints. Even if it got through the House, it would have needed to clear the Senate. But proponents had taken heart from the bipartisan support it had attracted. The bill would have balanced the new seat for the mostly Democratic District with an additional one for heavily Republican Utah.

D.C. Mayor Anthony A. Williams (D) criticized lawmakers for not moving ahead this week. "I'm disappointed because District residents have waited long enough for basic voting rights, and we shouldn't have to wait one day longer," Williams said in a statement....

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/05/AR2006120501161.html

[LSparkle]

1. One more thing for us to deal with in January ...

[Kellyiswise]

16. These fools don't even believe in their own Republic let alone democracy.

"No taxation without representation."

[whistle]

2. GOP let it die, eh, do you think racism might have something to do

....with their lack of motive to allow D.C. to have a voice in congress?

[long_green]

3. would the bill affect the number of electoral votes DC has?

nm

[Alexander]

6. No, it'll just give DC a member in the House of Representatives.

Currently they have a "non-voting delegate".

Personally I think DC should have an H.R. member, two Senators, and total statehood.

[Pab Sungenis]

8. Ironically, though,

while it wouldn't give an extra electoral vote to DC, because it gave an extra congressman to Utah, it WOULD have created one more permanent Republican electoral vote.

[tritsofme]

9. If we go down that road, why not just dissolve the federal district completely

and give the land back to the states that donated it.

If DC was a state, its original purpose no longer exists.

[Alexander]

10. Nothing wrong with that; it would probably turn Virginia blue.

But I am uncomfortable with the idea of a district paying taxes that doesn't get Congressional representation.

[tritsofme]

12. After writing that I just read that all of VA's land was given back in 1847

The remainder of DC was once part of Maryland.

[liberalpragmatist]

13. Except there's no indication that Maryland wants it

Nor do DC'ers see themselves as being part of Maryland.

Problem is even statehood would probably require a constitutional amendment, since a federal district is proscribed in the constitution.

[niyad]

4. I wonder what "constitutional concerns" are meant? equal representation?

[MGKrebs]

11. Well I wonder how they can just give another to Utah?

I thought the number of reps was based on population- either Utah gets another one or they don't. Seems like it shouldn't have anything to do with D.C.'s status.

[liberalpragmatist]

14. It was next in line for another seat

Its population grew nearly enough by 2000 to warrant a seat, but, after a court dispute, the court awarded the last seat to (I think) North Carolina.

[deepthought42]

5. Now they worry about the Constitution?

That's funny, they've been ignoring it til now, unless it's to deny a group of people basic rights based on sexual discrimination... :rant:

That being said...I feel for the people of D.C., that the people of our own nation's capital should be denied "basic voting rights," as Mayor Williams put it.

[DavidDvorkin]

7. On the bright side

The Democratic Congress will get the credit for passing that bill.

[Thor_MN]

15. Not taking a side, but how many Congress Critters hours per year

are spent in DC? One could argue that DC has more representation than any other area of the US, just not dedicated representation. I can see both sides...

[onehandle]

17. Of course. It's a 95% Democratic city.

Wyoming with its tiny population on the other hand, has a Rep and TWO Senators.

Racist pricks.