House GOP ends floor voting rights for delegates

[The Straight Story]

House GOP ends floor voting rights for delegates

WASHINGTON — One of the first acts of the new Republican-controlled House is to take away the floor voting rights of six delegates representing areas such as the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and American Samoa.

Five of those delegates are Democrats, while one, from the Northern Marianas Islands, is an independent.

The GOP decision to rescind the ability of delegates to vote on amendments on the House floor was the predictable outcome of a longtime party divide. Democrats extended the voting rights in 1993 when they controlled the House, Republicans disenfranchised the delegates when they became the majority in 1995 and Democrats restored delegate rights when they regained control of the House in 2007.

"This is a very undemocratic way to start the 112th Congress," said Virgin Islands Del. Donna Christensen. With the new GOP rule, she said, "there are over 4.5 million Americans who don't get input into shaping the final bill."

The partisan battle has always been as much about political symbolism as the actual ability of delegates to influence national policy. Under the Democrats, delegates could vote on the floor on amendments — in what is known as the Committee of the Whole — but not on final passage. And their votes came with the stipulation that they could not change the outcome of a vote.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40930689/ns/politics/

[Tommy_Carcetti]

1. Hmm, who was it who complained about "No Taxation Without Representation?"

Just a bunch of 18th Century SocialCommuIslamoFascists, I guess.

[rfranklin]

2. Voter Suppression...it's the Republican way!

Your right to vote is determined by your political affiliation.