HEY! Look what happened when you weren't looking!.... "House OKs Bill Giving D.C. Voting Powers"

[in_cog_ni_to]

:bounce:
House OKs Bill Giving D.C. Voting Powers
By JIM ABRAMS, Associated Press Writer

1 hour ago


WASHINGTON - The people of the District of Columbia moved a step closer Thursday to gaining voting rights denied to them for more than 200 years.

But the legislation passed by the House on a 241-177 vote faced a veto threat from the White House, which said the bill was unconstitutional.

The bill would increase full House membership from 435 to 437, giving the largely Democratic half-million residents of the district a seat and adding a temporary at-large seat for Republican-leaning Utah. The House has consisted of 435 seats since 1960.

The bill now goes to the Senate, where its fate is uncertain. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., echoing the position of the Bush administration, said it was unconstitutional and he would oppose it.

"This legislation corrects a serious flaw in our democracy," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. "We will not rest until full voting representation in the House is granted to the District of Columbia."<snip>

http://www.comcast.net/news/politics/index.jsp?cat=POLITICS&fn=/2007/04/19/641394.html

[izzie]

1. About time.

--

[mod mom]

2. No taxation without representation!

:woohoo:

[kirby]

3. Unconstitutional...

Why dont we just do the right thing and amend the constitution! I really dont think this will ever hold up in court.

[muryan]

4. lets hope it sticks

luckily this is one issue that LIEberman sides with the good guys

[pinto]

5. Good move.

[Arkansas Granny]

6. Apparently Bush will veto this one if it makes it to his desk as being

unconstitutional.

[DeepBlueC]

12. what would he know about the constitution?

I believe he described it as "just a piece of paper".

[medeak]

14. ditto Ark granny...

that's what am hearing as well.. let's see..he vetoed stem cells...and now this.

WTF?

[IronLionZion]

20. or as being Democratic

he's only doing this because DC is Democratic.

[tulsakatz]

7. I was hoping they would pass that!

I was watching this morning before I had to go to work. And I saw a lady talking about it (I forget her name) and someone asked her if she would yield. She said she would not yield and that people in DC have been yielding for 200 yrs!!

[Arkansas Granny]

17. Was that Eleanor Holmes Norton? I've seen her on several

shows talking about this and is adamant. She's been fighting for this for years.

[Honeycombe8]

8. Why can't Wash DC vote in the first place?

Someone has told me this before, I think, but I can't recall.

Do DC citizens pay federal taxes like the states? I know it's a "District" and not a state, but I don't know why that would make a difference.

[ellenfl]

10. it's not a state. either is puerto rico. eom

[WiseButAngrySara]

9. This is fantastic! How many decades/centuries too late?

:kick: & R! & :toast:

[babylonsister]

11. Excellent news! Thanks! nt

[many a good man]

13. Does that mean they have to return their license plates?

[lonestarnot]

15. Woooooooodamnwhoooooo! Yessssss!

:bounce: :woohoo: :applause:

[bdamomma]

16. good I'm glad.

[Patsy Stone]

18. K&R for DC! n/t

[Warren DeMontague]

19. Give 'em 2 senators, while we're at it.

I mean, the Senate is a hugely undemocratic institution. 33 Million Californians control 1/50th of it, just like 400,000 Wyoming residents. Which skews our government far more conservative and rural than our population actually is.