William F. Smith: “let me be clear. Any Member who votes for this bill is voting to grant D.C. residents more voting power in the House of…”

“let me be clear. Any Member who votes for this bill is voting to grant D.C. residents more voting power in the House of Representatives than any of their own constituents now enjoy. That is because this latest version of the bill fails to eliminate the position of D.C. Delegate. The D.C. Delegate can, of course, vote in committee, which means that if this bill passes, D.C. residents will have two votes in committee and one on the House floor. That would give D.C. residents more voting power in the House than any other voter in the country. That is obviously unfair, and I think we all know it. Mr. Speaker, this motion to recommit simply requires expedited judicial review of the constitutionality of the bill's provision. I believe this legislation is unconstitutional and will produce significant legal and electoral turmoil if enacted. So it is critical that the motion to recommit be adopted to ensure that if the bill violates the Constitution, that unconstitutional action will not be prolonged.”