Permitting Delegates And The Resident Commissioner To Cast Votes In The Committee Of The Whole

PERMITTING DELEGATES AND THE RESIDENT COMMISSIONER TO CAST VOTES IN THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE -- (House of Representatives - January 24, 2007)

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Ms. VELÁZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, I come before this House of Representatives, and I would like to speak not only on behalf of the 4 million American citizens who live in Puerto Rico, but also on behalf of the seven American Puerto Ricans who lost their lives in Iraq fighting to protect our Nation.

Today I rise to remove the muzzle from the mouths in support of the close to 5 million U.S. citizens' voices that are represented by the Delegates of the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa and the Resident Commissioner of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. I say voices because that is all their representatives in Congress are allowed to utter at the well of this House of Representatives. It is time to allow them to also act on behalf of their constituents in this Chamber by allowing them to vote in the Committee of the Whole House.

Right now these Members are allowed to fully participate, not only debate, but also vote at the committees on which they serve with distinction. The change proposed is very measured. It simply allows our respected friends and colleagues to vote in an additional committee, the Committee of the Whole House.

Why are my colleagues from the other side of the aisle so unwilling to allow them in this committee? They do not seem to mind them in the other committees. Madam Speaker, my Republican colleagues have even placed the Republican Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico in several committees, including Foreign Affairs.

My colleagues on the other side of the aisle claim that this rule may have constitutional problems. The reality is that the courts don't agree with this. I will tell my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, you cannot pick and choose which court decisions you agree with or you like. That is not how democracy works.

But as you all know, the Committee of the Whole House does not vote on final passage of legislation. It carries out similar work as the standing committees.

The only thing this new rule does allow is for our Delegates and Resident Commissioner colleagues to vote in a committee. The difference for their constituents is that this committee is not located in a small room, but meets here in this Chamber for all to watch.

Today's debate is about whether this House believes it is right to give these Members the opportunity to express their positions and values through the act of voting out in the open. Openness is a strong democratic value that all of us should support.

I want to emphasize this. These men and women are Members of this House. Let us help them express the voices of their U.S. citizen constituents by allowing them to vote in this committee as well.

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