Adopting the Rules of the House of Representatives for the 117th Congress

Floor Speech

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Ms. PLASKETT. Madam Speaker, as we begin the 117th Congress, I am truly grateful to the Democratic Caucus for bringing the six representatives of the territories of the United States and the District of Columbia--duly elected by 4 million Americans, collectively--to where we are today.

That was done in the 116th Congress when the rules package strengthened our democratic representation by returning floor voting rights to Delegates and the Resident Commissioners in the Committee of the Whole. The principle that every American deserves to be represented by a vote on the floor of this House is important, and we have somewhat of a voice now.

Moving forward, I think it is high time that we continue to expand that. The Constitution gives the fate, the rights, of all the territories solely to this body, to the Congress. That being said, it is important that we respect those votes, and I believe that our system for remote voting should apply with respect to votes cast in the Committee of the Whole in the same manner as it applies with respect to votes cast on the floor.

That being said, I commend the further strides we are making in this rules package. As a former prosecutor and counsel on the House Ethics Committee, I applaud the tightening of the whistleblower laws.

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Ms. PLASKETT. As a former counsel on the House Ethics Committee, I am pleased with the tightening of the whistleblower laws, and I commend the creation of the Select Committee on Economic Disparity and Fairness in Growth to recommend policies to address economic disparities and make the economy work for everyone. I expect this to be a positive development, and I urge my colleagues to adopt this package.

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