Reintroduction of the Congress Commission Act
Floor Speech
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Mr. HASTINGS. Madam Speaker, I rise to reintroduce the Congress Commission Act of 2021. This bill establishes the bipartisan Congressional Commission to Strengthen Representative Democracy to study and make recommendations on membership of the House of Representatives, the methods by which representatives are elected, and how to ensure opportunities for greater constituent and representative engagement.
The United States is the least representative democracy out of all of our international peers. It has been over one hundred years since the representative chamber has increased in size. During those intervening years the United States has added four additional states, the population has expanded exponentially, and the extension of voting suffrage means our national electorate looks vastly different than it did in the early twentieth century. And yet, over the course of more than a century, there has been insufficient effort to consider or enact changes to House membership that could improve how such population growth in number and diversity are reflected by federal representatives. Too many years have passed us by without any serious consideration of how our nation's growth and progress is reflected in the People's House.
We have in front of us an overwhelming amount of evidence illustrating the need for reform of the House of Representatives. Just last year, our fellow Americans took to the streets and ballot boxes demanding change and we came close to admitting a new state to our union. The completion of the 2020 Census provides us essential data on the population of the nation and the growing, disparate ratio of almost 750,000 Americans to each Member of the House. This is just the average. One Member may represent anywhere from almost 530,000 constituents, up to over 1,050,000 constituents. This Commission will determine if such a disparity in districts' populations ensures the just and equitable representation our chamber is intended to provide each citizen and district.
While I speak to the challenges of our current membership structure, ultimately the Commission to Strengthen Representative Democracy is not required to change the size of the House, voting methods for Representatives, or any other House process or assembly. I expect my colleagues that will participate on the Commission will execute their duties justly, judiciously, and with the intent of what is best for our constituents and our nation.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation.
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