[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 19 (Monday, January 30, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E72]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




INTRODUCTION OF THE RESTORING EQUAL AND ACCOUNTABLE LEGISLATORS IN THE 
                               HOUSE ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. EARL BLUMENAUER

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, January 30, 2023

  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, today I introduced the Restoring Equal 
and Accountable Legislators in the House (REAL House) Act. This 
legislation would expand the number of members of the U.S. House of 
Representatives to restore the chamber's direct link to the public and 
foster greater diversity among Representatives and the Electoral 
College.
  Members of the House of Representatives are their constituent's most 
direct connection to the federal government and its resources and 
services. The COVlD-19 pandemic underscored the importance of the 
proactive and local constituent services unique to House members. 
However, the number of constituents living in a single congressional 
district has dramatically increased since the number of House members 
was arbitrarily capped in 1929. Current district sizes threaten the 
direct constituent connection on which the House was founded. Simply, 
congressional districts are too large.
  Today, there are 435 voting members of the House of Representatives, 
a cap from when the U.S. population was only 122 million people. With 
the current U.S. population of 328 million people and the same number 
of representatives, the size of congressional districts has nearly 
tripled. The average congressional district now includes 800,000 
constituents.
  If Congress fails to act, by 2050 each member of Congress is on track 
to represent more than 1 million people.
  This growing imbalance makes it more difficult for members to be 
responsive to the will of the people, and voters are more likely to sit 
out elections when their voice and input are not fully represented in 
government.
  The artificial cap also has a more insidious effect: an 
unrepresentative Electoral College. In the Electoral College system, 
each state gets a certain number of electors based on its total number 
of representatives in Congress. As the disparity between the largest 
and smallest states widens, the votes of those in larger states matter 
less and less.
  The REAL House Act will help our government better reflect our 
districts and constituent needs. To restore the House's direct link to 
the public and to foster greater diversity among Members and the 
Electoral College, we must increase the number of Representatives.
  I look forward to working with my colleagues in Congress to enact 
this legislation and finally overcome the arbitrary cap of 435 voting 
members of this chamber.

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