Americans living in the District of Columbia are taxed by the federal government, but not really represented. To address this, a bill now in Congress would grant DC’s single delegate the right to cast a vote. The Senate has approved the bill, but attached a provision on gun regulation to which many in the House object. So House leadership is still mulling over what to do.
Both chambers miss the bigger problem: DC is a territory and our Constitution clearly states that only states shall have full represention in Congress.
There are a number of ways around this. The residential areas of the District could become part of Maryland or Virginia, for instance. Or the Constitution could be amended.
But our current leaders prefer ignoring the Constitution entirely.
For example, Attorney General Eric Holder recently ignored and even refused to release a report from his own Office of Legal Counsel that found the legislation to be unconstitutional.
Eleanor Holmes Norton, DC’s non-voting delegate, also pooh-poohs the constitutional issue. “I don’t think members [of Congress] are in the least bit affected in their votes on the question of its constitutionality,” she says. “People vote their politics in the House and in the Senate.”
Sad but true. Our representatives take an oath to protect and defend the Constitution, but their real allegiance is to their own petty politics.
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.
4 replies on “Politics or the Constitution?”
Yes, alas, if there were some way that house and senate oath breakers could be removed, there would be no one left.
I hate to tell DC folks, but just because you have a congressperson doesn’t mean your represented, just ask…well…anyone who isn’t a banker…
I studied American History
in the 1930s. I believe
from my memory that the reason
the district was created was to
have a netural place to conduct
the country’s lawmaking.
THAT IS WHY ‘WE THE PEOPLE” MUST TAKE ACTION.
It is time that we file a suit against those who are violating the Honest intent of our Constitution and founding documents.
When a Bill is Unconstitutional the Supreme Court should declare it so, however, they want it to be challenged in a court of law.
“The Overthrow of a government” is an Act of Treason. Failure to do what the people want and failure to protect them from Drugs and Illegal Aliens could be an act of Treason.
How many congressmen are getting money from the Drug cartels? How many didn’t sign the petition to release the border guards should give you some idea.
THE TEA PARTIES ARE FOR RESTORING HONESTY IN GOVERNMENT — RUN FOR OFFICE IF YOU ARE HONEST, WON’T TAKE MONEY FROM SPECIAL INTERESTS AND ARE NOT A LAWYER.
We the People, were warned over 200 years ago, not to vote in too many lawysre, that they will destroy the REpublic. They are doing just that.