Senate votes to give DC citizens vote in Congress

Associate Press ^ | February 26, 2009 | JIM ABRAMS

[stevie_d_64]

District of Columbia when it became the nation's capital two centuries ago would be granted under legislation the Senate passed Thursday.

Congress is "moving to right a centuries-old wrong," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid shortly before the 61-37 vote.

The House is expected to pass the measure with a strong majority next week and President Barack Obama, a co-sponsor when the bill failed to clear the Senate two years ago, has promised to sign it.

The measure is likely to face a court challenge immediately after becoming law; opponents argue that it is unconstitutional because D.C. is not a state and does not qualify for representation.

[albie]

I’d like at least ONE day between now and the inaugural in 2012 to read an article that’s remotely positive coming from the WH. So far bhussein is batting 1000 on destroying this country from the inside out.

Everything that’s happened so far has been strictly to shore up dem numbers and power. Nothing else. Nothing.

[Non-Sequitur]

One of the states had better go to court over this. It’s flatly unconstitutional.

[Squantos]

This crap is soooooo silly it has to be just a wag the dog diversion IMO. WHAT is really going on ....

[LukeL]

Only states have the right of representation, so this would require either DC fight for statehood or a constitutional amendment.

[Tunehead54]

Co-Sponsored by Orin Hatch (Rino) Utah

---

:-(

[buccaneer81]

The usual scumbags: Snowe, Collins, Specter, Voinovich.

[NavVet]

Suspecting this is all a very bad dream. I keep hitting myself in the head with a claw hammer, but instead of waking up, I’m just getting this terrible pain in my head.

[buccaneer81]

Hatch voted NO.

[Gabrial]

“Everything that’s happened so far has been strictly to shore up dem numbers”

Crooked Chicago politics comes to Washington.

This is a meltdown.

[Houghton M.]

“Not even remotely Constitutional.

Will never pass SCOTUS muster.”

Not now, but wait until Zero gets finished packing the Supreme Court.

[Paige]

THIS IS “UNCONSTITUTIONAL”, THIS IS A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT ISSUE.

[silverleaf]

They don’t need no steenkin’ constitution

We are so screwed

[illiac]

Here are the way they voted:

Alphabetical by Senator Name Akaka (D-HI), Yea
Alexander (R-TN), Nay
Barrasso (R-WY), Nay
Baucus (D-MT), Nay
Bayh (D-IN), Yea
Begich (D-AK), Yea
Bennet (D-CO), Yea
Bennett (R-UT), Nay
Bingaman (D-NM), Yea
Bond (R-MO), Nay
Boxer (D-CA), Yea
Brown (D-OH), Yea
Brownback (R-KS), Nay
Bunning (R-KY), Nay
Burr (R-NC), Nay
Burris (D-IL), Yea
Byrd (D-WV), Nay
Cantwell (D-WA), Yea
Cardin (D-MD), Yea
Carper (D-DE), Yea
Casey (D-PA), Yea
Chambliss (R-GA), Nay
Coburn (R-OK), Nay
Cochran (R-MS), Nay
Collins (R-ME), Yea
Conrad (D-ND), Yea
Corker (R-TN), Nay
Cornyn (R-TX), Nay
Crapo (R-ID), Nay
DeMint (R-SC), Nay
Dodd (D-CT), Yea
Dorgan (D-ND), Yea
Durbin (D-IL), Yea
Ensign (R-NV), Nay
Enzi (R-WY), Nay
Feingold (D-WI), Yea
Feinstein (D-CA), Yea
Gillibrand (D-NY), Yea
Graham (R-SC), Nay
Grassley (R-IA), Nay
Gregg (R-NH), Nay
Hagan (D-NC), Yea
Harkin (D-IA), Yea
Hatch (R-UT), Yea
Hutchison (R-TX), Nay
Inhofe (R-OK), Nay
Inouye (D-HI), Yea
Isakson (R-GA), Nay
Johanns (R-NE), Nay
Johnson (D-SD), Yea
Kaufman (D-DE), Yea
Kennedy (D-MA), Not Voting
Kerry (D-MA), Yea
Klobuchar (D-MN), Yea
Kohl (D-WI), Yea
Kyl (R-AZ), Nay
Landrieu (D-LA), Yea
Lautenberg (D-NJ), Yea
Leahy (D-VT), Yea
Levin (D-MI), Yea
Lieberman (ID-CT), Yea
Lincoln (D-AR), Yea
Lugar (R-IN), Yea
Martinez (R-FL), Nay
McCain (R-AZ), Nay
McCaskill (D-MO), Yea
McConnell (R-KY), Nay
Menendez (D-NJ), Yea
Merkley (D-OR), Yea
Mikulski (D-MD), Yea
Murkowski (R-AK), Nay
Murray (D-WA), Yea
Nelson (D-FL), Yea
Nelson (D-NE), Yea
Pryor (D-AR), Yea
Reed (D-RI), Yea
Reid (D-NV), Yea
Risch (R-ID), Nay
Roberts (R-KS), Nay
Rockefeller (D-WV), Yea
Sanders (I-VT), Yea
Schumer (D-NY), Yea
Sessions (R-AL), Nay
Shaheen (D-NH), Yea
Shelby (R-AL), Nay
Snowe (R-ME), Yea
Specter (R-PA), Yea
Stabenow (D-MI), Yea
Tester (D-MT), Yea
Thune (R-SD), Nay
Udall (D-CO), Yea
Udall (D-NM), Yea
Vitter (R-LA), Nay
Voinovich (R-OH), Yea
Warner (D-VA), Yea
Webb (D-VA), Yea
Whitehouse (D-RI), Yea
Wicker (R-MS), Nay
Wyden (D-OR), Yea

[Michael Barnes]

I know, my ignorance on this is showing, but can someone give me a run down as to why this is unconstitutional?

[what's up]

The 3 traitors?

[Belle22]

“Six Republican senators, Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe, both of Maine, Orrin Hatch of Utah, Richard Lugar of Indiana, Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania and George Voinovich of Ohio, voted for the measure today. Two Democrats, Senators Robert Byrd of West Virginia and Max Baucus of Montana, voted against it.”

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/26/senate-passes-dc-voting-rights-bill-61-37/

[Joya]

Why wasn’t Washington, (DC), made part of the state of Maryland, way back when?

[illiac]

Listed by Yea and Nay:

Grouped By Vote Position YEAs -—61
Akaka (D-HI)
Bayh (D-IN)
Begich (D-AK)
Bennet (D-CO)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Boxer (D-CA)
Brown (D-OH)
Burris (D-IL)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Cardin (D-MD)
Carper (D-DE)
Casey (D-PA)
Collins (R-ME)
Conrad (D-ND)
Dodd (D-CT)
Dorgan (D-ND)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feingold (D-WI)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Gillibrand (D-NY)
Hagan (D-NC)
Harkin (D-IA)
Hatch (R-UT)
Inouye (D-HI)
Johnson (D-SD)
Kaufman (D-DE)
Kerry (D-MA)
Klobuchar (D-MN)
Kohl (D-WI)
Landrieu (D-LA)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Leahy (D-VT)
Levin (D-MI)
Lieberman (ID-CT)
Lincoln (D-AR)
Lugar (R-IN)
McCaskill (D-MO)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Merkley (D-OR)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Murray (D-WA)
Nelson (D-FL)
Nelson (D-NE)
Pryor (D-AR)
Reed (D-RI)
Reid (D-NV)
Rockefeller (D-WV)
Sanders (I-VT)
Schumer (D-NY)
Shaheen (D-NH)
Snowe (R-ME)
Specter (R-PA)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Tester (D-MT)
Udall (D-CO)
Udall (D-NM)
Voinovich (R-OH)
Warner (D-VA)
Webb (D-VA)
Whitehouse (D-RI)
Wyden (D-OR)

NAYs -—37
Alexander (R-TN)
Barrasso (R-WY)
Baucus (D-MT)
Bennett (R-UT)
Bond (R-MO)
Brownback (R-KS)
Bunning (R-KY)
Burr (R-NC)
Byrd (D-WV)
Chambliss (R-GA)
Coburn (R-OK)
Cochran (R-MS)
Corker (R-TN)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Crapo (R-ID)
DeMint (R-SC)
Ensign (R-NV)
Enzi (R-WY)
Graham (R-SC)
Grassley (R-IA)
Gregg (R-NH)
Hutchison (R-TX)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Isakson (R-GA)
Johanns (R-NE)
Kyl (R-AZ)
Martinez (R-FL)
McCain (R-AZ)
McConnell (R-KY)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Risch (R-ID)
Roberts (R-KS)
Sessions (R-AL)
Shelby (R-AL)
Thune (R-SD)
Vitter (R-LA)
Wicker (R-MS)

Not Voting - 1
Kennedy (D-MA)

[buccaneer81]

I called Voinovich’s office, and the aide said, “But Utah gets another member, too!” I said I was aware of that, but that Utah or any other state won’t get the two senators that will be pushed through in the near future for DC. The stupid kid didn’t know what to say to that, so I consoled him by telling him his boss was either a) arrogant enough, b) stupid enough or c) both, by voting for something so blatantly unconstitutional.

[rockvillem]

Exactly.

The Constitution is SO clear on this point, but all it takes is 5 Justices who think there should be a “living” document to make the actual language irrelevant. Welcome to the Obama Supreme Court circa 2011!