The bill to give the District of Columbia a vote in Congress is back:
Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid hopes to bring the D.C. voting-rights bill to the floor for a crucial vote the week of Sept. 17, his spokesman said yesterday.
Supporters celebrated the announcement, saying they think the measure, which would give the District a full seat in the U.S. House, has enough backing to pass. Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (I-Conn.), a co-sponsor of the bill, indicated that he thought it could survive a filibuster attempt.
“The senator is pleased that the vote has apparently been scheduled and is confident he will have the 60 votes necessary to move this measure through the Senate,” said Lieberman’s spokeswoman, Leslie Phillips.
The Senate minority leader, Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), opposes the bill, saying it violates the Constitution by granting a full seat in the House to a non-state.
The bill, designed as a political compromise, would add two seats to the House. One would be for the staunchly Democratic District; the other would go to the next state in line to pick up a House seat — currently Utah, which leans Republican.
It passed the House in April.
Lieberman, co-sponsor Sen. Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah) and other supporters have been trying to persuade senators to let the bill go to an up-or-down vote. They would need a supermajority of 60 votes to proceed if Republicans threaten a filibuster.
Reid thought the legislation did not have that level of support before Congress adjourned for the August break. But he included the measure on a list of bills he wants considered in the next few weeks. And yesterday, Reid “indicated there will be a vote on D.C. voting rights the week of Sept. 17,” said his spokesman, Jim Manley.
The District’s nonvoting delegate, Eleanor Holmes Norton (D), said she is pleased that Reid “continues to make D.C. voting rights a priority in the face of a backlog of bills.”
Except a filibuster from McConnell.
Previous Posts:
A Vote For D.C. That’s Unconstitutional
Congress Examines Legality Of D.C. Vote Bill
White House Opposes D.C. Vote Bill
The D.C. Voting Rights Crybabies
Will Bush Veto The D.C. Vote Bill ?
Memo From The Washington Post: Ignore The Constitution, Just Vote Already
D.C. Vote Bill Stalls In The House
The Washington Post: Ignoring The Constitution Again
The D.C. Vote Bill Is On It’s Way Back
The D.C. Voting Rights Crybabies Are Back
The D.C. Vote Bill: The Battle Begins Anew
The D.C. Vote Bill Is Back
The D.C. Vote Bill: Back In Congress
House Passes D.C. Vote Bill
Americans Support A Vote For D.C., But Not The D.C. Vote Bill
Damn The Constitution, Full Speed Ahead
Orrin Hatch Ignores The Constitution
Politics, The Constitution, And The D.C. Vote Bill
D.C. Vote Bill Placed On Senate Fast Track
Harry Reid Backs The D.C. Vote Bill
D.C. Vote Bill Advances In Senate
Trolling For Votes In The Senate
The Right Way To Give D.C. A Vote In Congress
D.C. Vote Bill Likely To Be Delayed Until September
D.C. Vote Bill Delayed Until At Least September
