Senate Passes D.C. Voting Rights Bill 61-37

[Hissyspit]

Source: New York Times

February 26, 2009, 5:13 PM
Senate Passes D.C. Voting Rights Bill, 61-37

By KATE PHILLIPS
By a vote of 61-37, the Senate passed a bill providing full voting representation for the nation’s capital in the House of Representatives, nearly ensuring that the measure will become law this time around. While advocates were declaring victory already, a court fight almost definitely looms over the constitutionality of giving the District of Columbia voting privileges in the House that are akin to those of the 50 states.

The measure, if it became law, would increase the size of the House of Representatives to 437 from 435, adding not only a seat from the District of Columbia but also one from Utah. The Western seat was added in a compromise deal a few years back, to help attract Republican support and because officials contended that the state was deprived of an additional congressional district because of an undercount in the 2000 Census. (Also Utah’s Republican lean would also help balance out the normally Democratic tilt of the district.)

The House has yet to take up the measure this session, but is certain to repeat its passage of the bill in previous years. (Representative Steny Hoyer, the House majority leader, indicated that his chamber would take up a similar measure next week.) And President Obama has indicated his support for giving the district representation.

The Senate bill plainly states that the measure does not give the district representation in the Senate, but Republican opponents have argued that this law could allow that to happen at some point later on.

Read more: http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/26/senate-passes-dc-voting-rights-bill-61-37/

[rwheeler31]

1. Can the House get rid of all the garbage

amendments the senate put in?

[globalvillage]

2. What was the Ensign amendment?

Something about semi automatic weapons and no criminal charges for unregistered guns? What the hell does that have to do with DC voting rights? It passed, too, didn't it?

[Baltoman991]

6. Yes it

passed and I just threw my hands up at the 21 Democrats in the Senate who voted for that piece of garbage ammendment.

Anyone can carry a gun now, no need to register it because hey, you can't be charged. What a bunch of bullshit.

[globalvillage]

7. There was another one

about the FCC and the Fairness Doctrine. I was at work and just caught a bit of it, but it appeared the amendment restricted the FCC from re-implementing it. I think that passed as well.

I agree. Some of the amendments to this legislation sucked.

[-..__...]

19. Bravo for those 21 Senators.

At least they had the courage and respect for the Bill Of Rights to vote in favor of that amendment. We could use a lot more like them.

And no... just to clarify things a bit; not "anyone" can carry a gun now (I'll bet you probably knew that though).

If there's any example of "bullshit" here, it's that a registration scheme is even in place to begin with.

[Posteritatis]

3. More democracy = good! (nt)

[MasonJar]

4. Isn't that what we fought the British over? Taxation without representation?

I assume that since the D of C has no reps that they pay no taxes. Oh, sure!

[No Elephants]

9. Yes, but after we fought the Bristish, we adopted a Constitution that gives

representation in the House AND the Senate, but only to States. DC is not a state. Either make it a state or amend the Constitution. I don't care which. But I am sick of people in Congress and the Oval Office acting like the Constitution does not matter anymore.

[tomp]

17. yes. which senators represent them?

if its bigger than wyoming why no senators? i feel underrepresented in manhattan, too.

[fascisthunter]

5. about time

[rwheeler31]

8. Demint had a right wing communication crap

amendment, and the gun thing is just crazy.

[Ozymanithrax]

10. When the house passes their version...

we will have to see what stays in the bill when the Senate and House set down to iron out differences in the two bills.

[harmonicon]

11. why add seats?

Compromise, my ass. DC should get a seat. I'm drunk, so can't be bothered to look up the figures, but my guess is that DC has more residents than the entire state of Utah, so why would Utah get another rep? I call "lame".

[onenote]

14. when you sober up, you can look up the numbers: DC is much smaller than Utah

DC: 590,000
Utah: 2.7 million

DC is, however, slightly larger than one state (Wyoming) in terms of population and is fairly close (within 100,000) of Alaska, North Dakota and Vermont

I'm glad it passed, but I think the better route would be a constitutional amendment

[harmonicon]

16. don't need to sober up - you showed them to me - thanks!

Still, what I don't understand is why they'd add two seats instead of just dividing things up the way it's been done for ages now. Yeah, it means that some state would lose a seat, but that's how things go. A constitutional amendment may be better in some ways, but it's a whole other can of worms. I would guess that if constitutional amendments were being considered concerning DC voting rights, far more would be demanded, and then less would be accomplished.

[iamjoy]

12. Sponsored By...

It seems it was sponsored by Joe Lieberman

[SnoopDog]

13. I most throughly agree that DC deserves Congressional voting rights...However....

They have bypassed the Constitution. And that is NOT RIGHT.

They need to do a an Constitutional Amendment - pure and simple.

They already have Fucked Around with the Constitution - this is just one more example.

But of course, Americans can't be bothered....

And our Senate and Congress have no problem violating the Constitution....

Badges - we don't need no badges...

[Angleae]

15. Agreed, if this passes it will be challenged by the states.

The Constitution gives voting rights in congress to *states* not provinces, territories, or districts.

[Renew Deal]

18. That's a good point about adding senators.

Hmmmm. I'm not sure if this is going to survive the constitution. And if they get a house member, shouldn't they get two senators too? Hmmmmmm