[Dixielander]

Do you want your U.S. Representatives to be appointed instead of elected? I should hope not! Please contact your representative and insist that they vote for H.R. 2844. The US. House will probably vote on this bill by February 20.

[Maeve]

BUMP

[nickcarraway]

No.

[Numbers Guy]

What is their proposal for the "Debt of Honor" [Clancy book] scenario where a suicide bomber wipes out most of Congress? Is it preferable to have all power ceded to the President with no check on him (or her)?

I think having an emergency provision in place, allowing members of Congress to designate successors to serve until elections can be held, is a good idea. Now the language may need to be tightened up and more checks built into it, but that's different from opposing the idea in any form.

[Maeve]

BUMP

[veracious]

Under no circumstance can we allow our representatives in the Federal Government to be appointed. This bill claims that in an emergency we must change our form of government! Making sure someone is sitting in a representatives chair regardless of how he got there is _alien_ to our form of government. The kinds of changes being made to protect our government in emergency are destroying the government they pretend to protect. We either keep our Republic and deal with things as they come, or surrender.

As for me and my family, we will defend the US Constitution.

[deport]

What is the option should the planes that hit the WTC have hit the House of Representatives and wiped out most of them if not all? How should they be replaced in a emergency situation such as the senario above? Just let the government flounder at the direction of whomever until each state can call elections, hold them, etc?

[Schattie]

I'm a conservative who supports the repeal of both the 16th and 17 amendments. The 17th amendment involves the selection of senators by state legislatures (which it puts an end to).

If they're gonna do anything repeal the 17th amendment and give states back their power.

[azcap]

I was going to read the COG report but I can't right now as their is a black helicopter hovering outside my window and I don't want them to see what I am reading.

[Pylot]

Who among us believes we (citizens) are represented in either house??

Who gives a hoot if there is no representative there for a few months or even a year. Think it would make a difference? Well less spending might happen.

So support elected only, never appointed.

[TKDietz]

I don't know any of the details about the COG proposals and it may be that these guys are proposing some really bad stuff. I had been under the impression, perhaps mistakenly, that all of this was something people were trying to put together to ensure that we still have a government in the event that all or part of our government was wiped out by a natural disaster or weapons of mass destruction. Again, I don't know anything about any proposed amendments, but it does seem to me that some type of plan for a temporary intermediate government in case our other one is totally annihilated doesn't sound like such a bad idea. It's certainly worth looking into. This article, however, doesn't even attempt to explain the reasons why it opposes the proposed amendments. Instead it leaves all of the details out and tries to make it look like there is some sort of movement to do away with elected representatives and replace them all with appointed ones. This a very dishonest way to fight against something you disagree with. I don't know anything about the Liberty Committee, but I'm sure going to take anything a hear from them with a healthy dose of skepticism from now on.

By the way, just as an interesting side note, when our country was originally founded the Constitution provided that Senators be appointed by the state legislators. It was not till the 17th Amendment was ratified in 1913 that the Senate became a body of elected officials.

[graycamel]

This sounds a little kook. Probably for emergency such as terrorism. On to another issue addressed in this forum: I have no idea why so many conservatives want to abolish the 17th amendment and go back to "original intent". Let's get rid of computers, George Washington didn't intend us to have them (sarcasm). There's no reason to give a right that we have back to the states just because the senate is supposedly a representation of the states. Nobody would support that anyway. Oh, let's get rid of Texas. It wasn't part of the original intent.

[RonF]

Here's what the Constitution presently has to say on the matter:

Article I, Section 2, Paragraph 4: When vacancies happen in the Representation from any state [in the House of Representatives], the executive authority thereof shall issue writs of election to fill such vacancies.

and

Amendment XVII, Paragraph 2: When vacancies happen in the representation of any state in the Senate, the executive authority of such state shall issue writs of election to fill such vacancies: Provided, that the legislature of any state may empower the executive thereof to make temporary appointments until the people fill the vacancies by election as the legislature may direct.

So, it seems what's provided here is that if any vacancy occurs in the HoR or Senate, the affected States' governors are authorized to immediately hold a special election. Furthermore, if a vacancy occurs in the Senate, that State's legislature can provide to give their Governor the power to appoint a replacement until an election is held. To my knowledge, the several States have so provided. Extending that power to fill HoR seats would seem to make the most sense. Right now Senate seats are usually filled by appointees until the next biennial election. Some tweaking of this system might be useful (say, giving the same appointment power for HoR seats, and requiring an election to be held within 60 to 90 days), but otherwise the current system seems to be fine.

[Prodigal Son]

Do you want your U.S. Representatives to be appointed instead of elected?

The way the Constitution lays it out is fine with me. I would however, like to see the 17th repealed and the Senators selected by State legislature. America was never meant to be a democracy.