[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 15 (Tuesday, January 31, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E100-E101]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   THE NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR INDEPENDENT REDISRICTIING ACT OF 2012

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. EARL BLUMENAUER

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 31, 2012

  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, over the last few months, we have seen 
one opinion survey after another showing that Congress is facing record 
low approval ratings, hovering around 12 percent.
  It's no coincidence that at the same time we've seen a surge in 
political activity from both the Tea Party and the Occupy Wall Street 
movements, expressing a shared frustration and distrust of Washington.
  Underpinning America's disapproval of Congress is a broken political 
system, ranging from anachronistic Senate procedure to the recent 
Citizens United ruling. The budget battles of this Congress extend and 
amplify this trend.
  While there is no silver bullet to ``fix'' what's ailing our 
Government, many experts and the public agree that we need 
comprehensive redistricting reform as a means to tone down the 
partisanship and make it possible to enact change. Under the current 
system, redrawing Congressional district boundaries every ten years 
continuously sends Congress down the path to partisan gridlock.
  It's the worst kept secret in Washington that our current 
redistricting process too often gives incumbent politicians more 
influence over picking their voters, than voters have in picking their 
politicians.
  Both political parties have developed the redistricting process into 
an art form, punishing opponents and protecting incumbents. Just

[[Page E101]]

last week, House Speaker John Boehner told POLITICO that Republicans 
will hold the House for the next decade thanks to the once-in-a-decade 
redistricting process that has made the GOP's hold on the majority 
``ironclad.''
  I don't know about you, but I don't think the American public wants 
elections to be pre-cooked, a decade at a time. Politicians should not 
be allowed to achieve through the redistricting process what they can't 
accomplish at the ballot box. And regardless of whether the Speaker is 
right or not, the optics are disheartening and more than enough to 
further depress voter turnout.
  Outside the beltway, there is very little that separates the average 
person in their political beliefs. But when you have a redistricting 
system where incumbents don't feel accountable in general elections, 
but fear attack in the primary, politicians are forced further and 
further to the left or right, ultimately skewing the membership of 
Congress. This is a system that rewards ideological extremes, punishes 
those who have nuanced or moderate positions, and closes the door on 
compromise before anyone even gets to Washington.
  Even though elections are just around the corner, only 22 states have 
approved final district maps, leaving voters uncertain about who their 
candidate will be and furthering the already substantial incumbent 
advantage. There is hope, however, in states that have adopted 
independent redistricting commissions. All but one of these 13 states 
have already finalized their Congressional districts, making up a 
majority of the national total, and representing a small fraction--two 
of the 11 states--that are duking it out in court.
  Redistricting reform isn't a Democrat or Republican idea. Indeed, 
it's bipartisan as seen in California and Florida where in 2010, both 
states--California controlled by Democrats in both chambers, and 
Florida controlled by Republicans in both chambers--enacted bipartisan 
redistricting reform.
  While reform is slowly taking hold, the process remains woefully 
inadequate and subject to political abuse. The temptation to place 
partisan objectives above the public interest is just too enticing.
  To make Congress more representative, all districts in all states 
should follow the same balanced metrics and criteria for redistricting, 
instead of the corrupt system we have today that's makes some states 
less fair and representative than others. That is why I have introduced 
legislation that would create the National Commission for Independent 
Redistricting.
  The Commission would be composed of respected leaders with a proven 
commitment to public service and strengthening our future, such as ex-
Presidents, retired Federal justices, previous congressional leaders, 
and electoral experts from academia. The Commission would oversee an 
independent, professional agency, tasked with establishing uniform 
criteria and congressional district lines for each State that respects 
the communities of interest, and geographic, ethnic, cultural, and 
historic boundaries, rather than just partisan affiliation.
  The Commission would also inject greater transparency and 
accountability into the process by requiring robust public consultation 
and commentary that must be taken into account, and a website where all 
maps, hearings, votes with concurring and dissenting opinions, and 
materials would be made public in a timely fashion.
  Congress would then approve or disapprove of the proposal put forward 
by the Commission with a simple up-or-down vote, free from procedural 
gridlock.
  Congress should enact this legislation now, well before the next 
census in 2020. With six elections and nearly a decade standing between 
current politicians and the next Census, now is the time to reform our 
redistricting process and act in a way that reflects broad public 
interests rather than narrow and immediate partisanship.
  Meaningful political reform is seldom easy and it takes time. Instead 
of each state passing their own version of what might as well be called 
``The Incumbent Protection Act'' every 10 years, I am hopeful that 
there will be careful consideration of this proposal as a way to make 
the House of Representatives fairer, more representative, and more 
effective for this new century.

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