Great day on the Hill as the DC Voting Rights Act (H.R. 1433) was passed out of the House Oversight and Reform Committee today by a vote of 24-5.

There were a number of amendments that were offered - the most entertaining one was by Representative Lynn Westmoreland. He attempted to amend the bill to read that if the partisan balance of a Democratic member from the District and a Republican member from Utah did not materialize, then the bill was null and void. Chairman Waxman wisely pointed out the United States Congress should not be in any position to tell people who what party they need to vote for. (Of course that amendement went nowhere, and I think Representative Westmoreland was just trying to make some sort of point )

Tomorrow there is a hearing in the Judiciary Committee at 10:00am in 2141 Rayburn. And then a mark-up on Thursday. It’s going to be an historic week!

Additional Reading:

Chairman Waxman’s Opening Statement

Opening Statement of Ranking Member Tom Davis

Washington Post Article:
D.C. Could Get First Full Vote in House

Good news! Efforts to give DC a vote in the House of Representatives are showing momentum. The District of Columbia House Voting Rights Act of 2007, now H.R. 1433, is going to have a number of hearings this week in the House.

The first one is March 13th in the Oversight and Government Reform committee, followed by a hearing the next day in the Judiciary Committee. The details are as follows:

DC Voting Rights Act Mark Up
House Oversight and Government Reform Committee

Date: Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Location: 2154 Rayburn House Office Building
Time: 10:00 AM

Judiciary Committee on DC House Voting Rights Act

Date: Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Location: 2141 Rayburn House Office Building
Time: 10:00 AM

If you can make either of these hearings, please find me and say hello.

I got the word last night that hearings have been scheduled in the committees of jurisdiction for H.R. 328. It seems Speaker Nancy Pelosi has give the green light to move forward and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer has pledged to get things moving this month. In a statement, Hoyer said:

“I am pleased to announce that the House of Representatives will vote on a bill to give the people of Washington, DC full representation in the People’s House by the end of the month. The people of the District have waited too long to have a voice in the House. Democrats promised to move this legislation in the first months of the new Congress and that is what we are doing.”

So now things are in the Judiciary and Oversight committees. We need to put some pressure on the representatives in those committees from people who live in their districts – and from everyone in the country.

According to DC Vote, the schedule (which is still in flux) will very likely will include committee mark-ups as soon as next week!

Please, go to http://www.freeandequaldc.com and take action. Send the link to anyone you know who’d support us on this action. Things are moving, let’s keep it that way!

It’s in the news at:

Washington Post:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/07/AR2007030702279.html

New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/cq/2007/03/07/cq_2376.html

This was on NPR yesterday. Here is the blurb from their web site:

Prospects for D.C. Voting Rights Take a Hit
Advocates for Washington, D.C., voting rights thought they had it made when Democrats took over Congress. A deal giving Utah one more red-state congressman seemed likely to allow the blue district a voting representative. But that has changed. Lisa Nurnberger of member station WAMU reports. (Listen here)