[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 2]
[House]
[Pages 1932-1933]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                            DELEGATE VOTING

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the order of the House of 
January 4, 2007, the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. McHenry) is 
recognized during morning hour debates for 5 minutes.
  Mr. McHENRY. Mr. Speaker, this week House Democrats are pushing 
forward a measure allowing Delegates to cast votes even on the House 
floor, even in this chamber.
  Now, what is happening here is a continuation of a policy that the 
Democrats have put in place since day one, and that is an abuse of 
power. This proposal this week means that Delegates from Guam, the 
Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and my favorite, American Samoa, will 
enjoy new voting privileges similar to Members of Congress who actually 
represent districts in the United States and who actually represent 
districts with tax-paying citizens of the United States. This is a 
clear abuse of power.
  And beyond that, as we all know, there is this little thing called 
the Constitution, and the Constitution says very clearly, the House 
shall be comprised of Members chosen by the people of the several 
States, not territories, not any member who wishes to come to this 
House floor and vote, but those elected by the citizens of the United 
States from districts in the United States.
  What the Democrats are trying to do here is cushion their numbers. 
There is a tight majority here in the House that the Democrats have, 
and they are trying to add to those numbers so that when they have 
tough votes on the House floor, they can look up and point to a better 
number for their side than for the Republican side.
  Beyond that, 80 percent of the Delegates from these territories are 
Democrats. Let's think this thing through. I think it is starting to 
make sense now, Mr. Speaker. There is an abuse of power that is 
continuing in the third week of Congress that began even before its 
first day. And let me tell you what is so perplexing about this, is 
that while my constituents have to pay Federal income tax in order to 
have their representation in Congress, the Delegates from the 
territories represent constituents who never have to pay Federal income 
tax. While the Revolutionary War was fought over this idea of taxation 
without representation, what we have here today with this Delegate 
voting is representation without taxation. I think that would be great 
for my constituents in western North Carolina; I think it would be 
great for all of America if we don't have to pay Federal income tax and 
still have our power and our elected democracy, but that is not the 
case.
  But let's rewind. Just 2 weeks ago, the new Speaker of the House 
pushed forward a new minimum wage bill, a minimum wage bill that 
covered all of America and all of the territories, save one, American 
Samoa. The largest employer in American Samoa is headquartered in no 
other district than the Speaker's home district in San Francisco. I 
think something smells fishy. That is what I said at the time. And I 
think this is another fishy favor to the Delegates from the 
territories. It is quite perplexing, Mr. Speaker, that in week three we 
have a continued abuse of power on this House floor.
  But let's go back, let's rewind. What else have the Democrats done in 
their short time in power to abuse the power that the American people 
gave them? Well, let's look at this: On opening day, we proposed the 
Pelosi minority bill of rights, the same bill of rights that the 
Democrats demanded 2 years ago. We proposed the same thing, and the 
Speaker summarily dismissed it. Look at the 9/11 Commission, they 
pledged to implement all of the 9/11 Commission recommendations, and 
they went back on that pledge. A 5-day workweek, that was a key pledge 
they made during the campaign, and after the campaign they said this 
House will work 5 days a week. We have yet to work a 5-day workweek. In 
fact, last Friday we voted on only one bill.
  And also, in 3 weeks in Congress, we only worked 40 hours in those 3 
weeks. Another abuse of power, Mr. Speaker.
  And finally, when they talk about keeping votes open in order to 
change the outcome; they have already done that, which is another abuse 
of power.
  Mr. Speaker, this Delegate voting is something fishy, and it is 
another fishy favor put forward by the new Speaker of the House and the 
new Democrat majority in order to pad their number and further abuse 
power. We should reject it, and the American people who pay taxes 
should be angry at this proposal.

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