Norton to Offer a Protest Motion on Floor on Stripping D.C. of its Vote

Norton to Offer a Protest Motion on Floor on Stripping D.C. of its Vote

January 5, 2011

WASHINGTON, DC - The Office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today announced that Norton will offer a motion to refer the issue of delegate voting to a special committee. If successful, the motion would prevent the Republicans from voting on the new House Rules, which strip the delegates of their vote in the Committee of the Whole, until the special committee studied the issue or the delegate vote was again added to the Rules. The motion will be offered immediately before Members begin debate on the resolution for the Rules, interrupting the process before it begins. By voting "no", Democrats are able to protest on the record the elimination of delegate voting.

Norton said, "Ironically, Republicans offered the equivalent motion when Democrats first gave me the vote in the Committee of the Whole, but their language sought to eliminate the vote, just I am now seeking to retain it. I am turning the tables, using almost the same language to retain delegate voting. We have a provision they did not have, however: A citation to the federal appeals court decision holding that delegate voting in the Committee of the Whole is in fact constitutional, Michel v. Anderson (14 F.3d 623 (D.C. Cir. 1994)). With this motion, we formally begin the protest that will be necessary to salvage what D.C. has won in the past. We will need the help of the top elected District officials and District residents, because we are sure this is only the first attack on our rights."