District of Columbia Special Election Reform Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I'll be brief.

Today we're doing a small and technical change to everyone except the people of the District of Columbia, who consistently have to live under a rule that costs the voters and the residents of the District of Columbia to expend enormous additional dollars to have special elections rather than having the ordinary flexibility to try to combine their votes at a time in which it would be less expensive.

The bill, which is, if you will, an omission under the Home Rule Act, provides for the District of Columbia to fill vacancies on the first Tuesday 114 days after the date of such vacancy occurring. Unfortunately, this does not provide the flexibility necessary to time special elections concurrently with other general and primary elections. Therefore, this small--and yet not small to the District of Columbia--change will allow them to place the election on a Tuesday occurring between 70 and 174 days of the vacancy. Understand, Mr. Speaker, if there is an ordinary election occurring within that process, this will cause us to have the election on that date.

The bill has been carefully considered and passed unanimously by the committee. Additionally, it's supported by the entire city council--we'll soon hear from the delegate from the District of Columbia--by the Mayor and his administration.

I want to take just a quick moment to thank the gentlelady from the District of Columbia. It has been, in fact, her work with the committee that made this technical change one that we can all live with for the benefit of the people who host us in the Federal city.

With that, I reserve the balance of my time.

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