Not So Fast
Two resolutions that will be presented for ratification at the Utah Republican Central Committee on Dec. 9 express opposition to the plan that would give Utah a fourth congressional seat.
The resolutions oppose the plan because those behind it believe that giving Washington D.C. a vote in Congress is a violation of the U.S. Constition, which specifies members of Congress shall be chosen by the various states. Washington, D.C. is not a state.
The plan, which Utah officials are hoping to get through the current lame-duck Congress before the Democrats take control in January, gives Washington, D.C. a seat in Congress and, to offset what is expected to be a liberal vote, gives conservative Utah a fourth seat.
The Republicans backing the resolutions are not against Utah having a fourth seat. Their issue is the constitutionality of giving Washington, D.C., a member of congress.
By the time the Central Committee meets, the resolutions could be moot. Everything is on a fast track and the Utah Legislature is attempting to get new congressional boundaries drawn as quickly as possible for a vote in Congress. Gov. Jon Huntwsman Jr. also has expressed the need for urgency in the matter.
If the resolutions pass the Central Committee, they will be sent to Congress. They, of course, are non-binding and nothing more than an expression of opinion by the Republican Central Committee.
But there are enough groups around the country with the same concerns, it is a pretty good bet that if the legislation passes Congress and Washington, D.C., and Utah get new congressional representatives, lawsuits in federal court will attempt to block it.
Cheers,
Paul Rolly
The resolutions oppose the plan because those behind it believe that giving Washington D.C. a vote in Congress is a violation of the U.S. Constition, which specifies members of Congress shall be chosen by the various states. Washington, D.C. is not a state.
The plan, which Utah officials are hoping to get through the current lame-duck Congress before the Democrats take control in January, gives Washington, D.C. a seat in Congress and, to offset what is expected to be a liberal vote, gives conservative Utah a fourth seat.
The Republicans backing the resolutions are not against Utah having a fourth seat. Their issue is the constitutionality of giving Washington, D.C., a member of congress.
By the time the Central Committee meets, the resolutions could be moot. Everything is on a fast track and the Utah Legislature is attempting to get new congressional boundaries drawn as quickly as possible for a vote in Congress. Gov. Jon Huntwsman Jr. also has expressed the need for urgency in the matter.
If the resolutions pass the Central Committee, they will be sent to Congress. They, of course, are non-binding and nothing more than an expression of opinion by the Republican Central Committee.
But there are enough groups around the country with the same concerns, it is a pretty good bet that if the legislation passes Congress and Washington, D.C., and Utah get new congressional representatives, lawsuits in federal court will attempt to block it.
Cheers,
Paul Rolly
2:34 PM
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4 Comments:
How will they get around the fact that no less than GOP idol Ken Starr has opined that giving D.C. a seat is Constitutional? Maybe Congress could appoint a special prosecutor to look into it...
Washington, DC, was a great capital in 1789, but its time has passed. Let it revert back to the surrounding states and establish a new District of Columbia in Kansas.
I sure don't understand any Republican support for this measure, other than our own current Senators and Reps. Utah is going to get a fourth, presumably Republican, House seat in four short years, with no offsetting Democratic seat from DC. This proposal creates an extra heavily Democratic seat that can be avoided with a little patience.
My own opinion is that this measure doesn't stand a snowball's chance in hell of succeeding, but of the Republican leadership is paying lip service to supporting it in the interest of "fairness". They have no intention of bringing it to the floor, or voting for it if it makes it past them to a vote.
Sure seems like the Democrats ought to be pushing this one. It not only is the fair and right thing to do for DC, it also gets an extra seat that might not otherwise exist.
I am pleased to report that on Saturday, December 2, 2006, the Central Committee of the Salt Lake County Republican Party voted overwhelmingly to adopt a resolution, introduced by Jeremy Roberts, expressing OPPOSITION to the proposed federal legislation seeking to create new congressional seats for Utah and the District of Columbia.
I was proud of both the party unity displayed in the lopsided vote, as well as the principled course my fellow Republicans advocated for the good of our country. It bolstered my faith in the ability of grassroots citizens to understand complicated concepts and to arrive at wise decisions. It is my hope that this act will provide additional motivation and political support for our elected representatives who seek to strengthen constitutional authority in the United States.
Thus, I hereby urge our governor, state legislators, and federal congressional delegation to do all in their power to send a clear and unmistakable message back to the nation's capitol that Utah would rather wait until after the next census to legitimately and constitutionally obtain an additional seat in Congress. What little we would gain in the near term by rushing after the proposed fourth seat now, is not worth the damage that would be done to the nation in the long run.
The full text of the resolution follows:
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RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF A FOURTH AND POSSIBLE FIFTH CONGRESSIONAL SEAT FOR UTAH
Whereas, in 1911 Congress limited the House of Representatives to 435 members;
Whereas, Apportionment of the 435 Congressional seats among the states depends on the size of the population in each state,
Whereas, Current population growth in Utah will prescribe a Fourth and possibly a Fifth Congressional seat within the next 5 years;
Whereas, Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution of the United States reads: "Representation…shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective numbers…within every subsequent term of ten years, in such manner as they shall by law direct";
Whereas, The Republican Party supports strict construction of the Constitution and believes giving representation to Washington DC is unconstitutional;
Whereas, In 1978, an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would have given full congressional voting representation to residents of the District of Columbia passed through both the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives;
Whereas, In 1985, when the seven year limit on ratification of the amendment set within the Congressional resolution adopting it expired, the amendment had only passed in 16 of 38 states necessary;
Whereas, This latest fiasco is clearly an attempt by Democrats to get via legislation what they could not get via a Constitutional amendment;
Whereas, This sets the precedent for Washington DC to get Senate seats and Puerto Rico, Guan, American Samoa, and citizens living abroad to get voting seats;
Whereas, The GOP would be giving up decades of population shift in our favor;
Whereas, There is no reason to give the Democrats a safe seat in Washington DC when we get our safe GOP seats for free if we just wait a bit; therefore be it:
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Resolved, The Salt Lake County Republican Party does not support current efforts to immediately secure a Fourth Congressional Seat for the State of Utah;
Resolved,, That the Salt Lake County Republican Party admonishes Governor Jon M. Huntsman, Jr. and the state legislature to be prudent and patient by waiting until after the 2010 census to change congressional boundaries;
Resolved,, That the Salt Lake County Republican Party admonishes Senator Orin Hatch and Senator Robert Bennett, Congressman Chris Cannon and Congressman Rob Bishop to be prudent and patient by waiting until after the 2010 census to secure a Fourth and possible Fifth seat for Utah, and,
Resolved,, That a copy of this resolution be mailed to each member of our Republican state and federal delegation.
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Respectfully submitted November 17, 2006 by Jeremy Roberts, Legislative District 41 Chair, and Amy Roberts, former County Party Secretary
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