* Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce legislation which will continue my efforts of previous Congresses to work toward better representation for our constituents. My legislation will form a commission to examine how we, the people, may be best served by our representational democracy. This commission would analyze the current size of the membership of the House of Representatives and examine alternatives to the current method of electing Representatives.
* Madam Speaker, as Chairman of the Committee on Rules Legislative and Budget Subcommittee, I find it absolutely necessary to continually update our mechanisms for representation and governance to best serve those constituents who have trusted us with representing them.
* The legislation I offer today will counter the unfortunate truth that, ironically, our land of the free is one of the most under-representative democracies in the world. When considering elected federal representation per capita, many other countries throughout the world have parliaments which can more closely serve their constituents. Smaller ratios of elected officials to constituents allow for better engagement to more effectively address the needs of their districts. As a country that holds itself up as the standard bearer for the democratic process, we must be critical of our own standards to guarantee that we continue to give all citizens an equal and meaningful voice in our government.
* We have encountered an electoral crisis in recent years with low voter turnout and diminishing faith in the effectiveness of our electoral process. However, the energy of this current election cycle has exponentially increased voter registration. We owe it to our constituents to ensure that this increase in civic engagement is met with the most effective mechanism of representation possible. The Commission proposed in the legislation I introduce today will meet that need by determining the best way to ensure maximum participation in this great democracy by every American citizen.
* I urge my colleagues to support this legislation and look forward to its expedient passage.