Providing For Consideration Of H. Res. 78, Permitting Delegates And The Resident Commissioner To Cast Votes In The Committee Of The Whole

PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H. RES. 78, PERMITTING DELEGATES AND THE RESIDENT COMMISSIONER TO CAST VOTES IN THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE -- (House of Representatives - January 24, 2007)

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Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, I, too, today rise in opposition to this rule and the underlying legislation. In this bill, the Delegates and the Resident Commissioner will be allowed to vote on proceedings in the Committee of the Whole; but if their vote is decisive, then there must be a revote in the full House without the participation of these Delegates. In other words, the bill says that your vote counts except when it doesn't count. And when it really, really counts, that is when it will make a difference in the outcome of the proceedings, it turns out that your vote doesn't count at all.

This kind of absurdity might be appropriate in the drama of Beckett or Ionesco, but it has no place in the making of American law.

And I do want to address the issue, too. In the last session I supported the Tom Davis-Holmes Norton bill to help deal with the issue of the District of Columbia's voting rights. I agree with that. I support that legislation, and we should take up that legislation. We shouldn't do it through this rule.

Also, with respect to self-determination in Puerto Rico, we have been supportive of Mr. Fortuño and his effort to allow for self-determination of the island where people have a choice to make: independence, territorial status, or statehood. Let that process take its course. This is not the way to go. I oppose the rule and the underlying legislation.

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