Alan Lowenthal: “I come to the House floor today to introduce my first bill as a Member of Congress. It's Let the People Draw the Lines…”

“I come to the House floor today to introduce my first bill as a Member of Congress. It's Let the People Draw the Lines Act, or H.R. 2978. My bill does exactly what that title says: it lets people, not politicians, draw the district lines for the United States House of Representatives. My bill empowers the States to create independent redistricting commissions, much like we have in my home State of California. The Let the People Draw the Lines Act will remove redistricting from the political process. It will provide clear and uniform redistricting criteria that give all communities a fair and equal voice in the political process. This entire process will be transparent and open to the public, the way it should be. If my bill becomes law, Mr. Speaker, political gerrymandering will finally become a closed chapter in our Nation's journey towards a more perfect democracy. Let the people draw the lines, Mr. Speaker. America deserves true representation. ____________________”