Official Bill Info

• Latest Action: Mar 02, 2009 Held at the desk.

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  I know the most recent action for this bill is as follows: "Held at the desk." on Mar 02, 2009
• Committee Assignment: Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

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  This bill has been assigned to the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committee.
This bill's most-recent vote occurred on February 26, 2009, with a roll call of 61 ayes, 37 nays, and 1 not voting.
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This bill's most-recent vote occurred on February 26, 2009, with a roll call of 61 ayes, 37 nays, and 1 not voting.

Bill Statistics on OpenCongress

Contribution Data

OpenCongress Bill Summary

• Similar to H.R.157, this bill seeks to make the District of Columbia a congressional district but clarifies that D.C would not behave as a state for purposes of representation in the Senate. Expanding beyond the scope of the House version, this proposed bill requires that an additional Representative of Utah be elected in accordance with the state’s 2006 redistricting plan. During the Senate's work on this bill, they attached two unrelated amendments to it. The first amendment, similar to H.R.226, would restrict the FCC from repromulgating the fairness doctrine, and the second amendment, the "Second Amendment Enforcement Act," would deny D.C. the authority to limit the private ownership or use of firearms. The gun amendment has caused Democrats to balk, and the bill is now considered tabled indefinitely.

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  Here's a summary from OpenCongress.org: Similar to H.R.157, this bill seeks to make the District of Columbia a congressional district but clarifies that D.C would not behave as a state for purposes of representation in the Senate. Expanding beyond the scope of the House version, this proposed bill requires that an additional Representative of Utah be elected in accordance with the state’s 2006 redistricting plan. During the Senate's work on this bill, they attached two unrelated amendments to it. The first amendment, similar to H.R.226, would restrict the FCC from repromulgating the fairness doctrine, and the second amendment, the "Second Amendment Enforcement Act," would deny D.C. the authority to limit the private ownership or use of firearms. The gun amendment has caused Democrats to balk, and the bill is now considered tabled indefinitely.

Supporting Organizations

• Upset the Setup

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• American Bar Association

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  I know that the organization American Bar Association supports S.160
• League of Women Voters

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• DC Vote

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• Civil Rights Coalition

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• Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism

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  I know that the organization Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism supports S.160
• National Association for the Advancement of Colored People

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  I know that the organization National Association for the Advancement of Colored People supports S.160

Opposing Organizations

• Eagle Forum

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Most-commented sections of the bill text

• ‘(a) Certain Affirmative Actions Required- The Commission shall take actions to encourage and promote diversity in communication media ownership and to ensure that broadcast station licenses are used in the public interest. (1 comments, Link )

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  specifically, this section of the legislation: "‘(a) Certain Affirmative Actions Required- The Commission shall take actions to encourage and promote diversity in communication media ownership and to ensure that broadcast station licenses are used in the public interest.",
• This title may be cited as the ‘Second Amendment Enforcement Act’. (1 comments, Link )

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  specifically, this section of the legislation: "This title may be cited as the ‘Second Amendment Enforcement Act’.",

Highest Rated User Comments

• On February 27, 2009, by csledbetter - Article 1, Section 8, Clause 17 gives Congress the right to "exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District". You might think that means they can just vote to give DC a seat in the House of Representatives, except that Article 1, Section 2 clearly describes that the "House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States, and the Electors in each State shall have the Qualifications requisite for Electors of the most numerous Branch of the State Legislature." DC is not a state, and it does not have a State Legislature. Therefore it has no qualifications requisite for the Electors. It cannot send a representative to the House. Read the WHOLE document before you cite a section out of context to make a point. Most citizens today do not really know what is in the Constitution, so the morons in congress think they can pass an unconstitutional law and no one will notice.

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  As noted by csledbetter, a user on OpenCongress.org, on February 27, 2009, "Article 1, Section 8, Clause 17 gives Congress the right to "exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District". You might think that means they can just vote to give DC a seat in the House of Representatives, except that Article 1, Section 2 clearly describes that the "House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States, and the Electors in each State shall have the Qualifications requisite for Electors of the most numerous Branch of the State Legislature." DC is not a state, and it does not have a State Legislature. Therefore it has no qualifications requisite for the Electors. It cannot send a representative to the House. Read the WHOLE document before you cite a section out of context to make a point. Most citizens today do not really know what is in the Constitution, so the morons in congress think they can pass an unconstitutional law and no one will notice."
• On February 23, 2009, by reaper527 - Article 1, Section 2, Clause 1: "The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States, and the Electors in each State shall have the Qualifications requisite for Electors of the most numerous Branch of the State Legislature. " passing this piece of legislature is unconstitutional.

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  As noted by reaper527, a user on OpenCongress.org, on February 23, 2009, "Article 1, Section 2, Clause 1: "The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States, and the Electors in each State shall have the Qualifications requisite for Electors of the most numerous Branch of the State Legislature. " passing this piece of legislature is unconstitutional. "
• On February 26, 2009, by cjstgeorge - For the best part of the last 8 years we have been complaining that George the Second has been shredding and ignoring the Constitution. And here we are, trying to do the very same thing. When its bad for them to do it but good for us to do it, Can you spell: Hypocrisy? We have 3 choices within one option. The only option is to obey the Supreme Law of the Land. Failure to do that would be to invite a slide toward anarchy. The 3 choices are: 1) Amend the Constitution; 2) Cede the residential areas of the District of Columbia to a State or States; 3) Forget it. My son is one American who does not have a representative in Congress. He lives in Italy. Should we establish a Congressional District or 2 or more for the ex-patriots of the world? How about a Congressional District for our Navy fleets at sea? For our land and air forces abroad? For our astronauts in space?

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  As noted by cjstgeorge, a user on OpenCongress.org, on February 26, 2009, "For the best part of the last 8 years we have been complaining that George the Second has been shredding and ignoring the Constitution. And here we are, trying to do the very same thing. When its bad for them to do it but good for us to do it, Can you spell: Hypocrisy? We have 3 choices within one option. The only option is to obey the Supreme Law of the Land. Failure to do that would be to invite a slide toward anarchy. The 3 choices are: 1) Amend the Constitution; 2) Cede the residential areas of the District of Columbia to a State or States; 3) Forget it. My son is one American who does not have a representative in Congress. He lives in Italy. Should we establish a Congressional District or 2 or more for the ex-patriots of the world? How about a Congressional District for our Navy fleets at sea? For our land and air forces abroad? For our astronauts in space?"

Highly Rated Blog Articles

• S.160: Right Start Child Care and Education Act of ... - OpenCongress - January 24, 2011 by opencongress.org - A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to increase the credit for employers establishing workplace child care facilities, to increase the child care credit to encourage greater use of quality child care services, to provide incentives for studen

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  As noted by opencongress.org on January 24, 2011, "A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to increase the credit for employers establishing workplace child care facilities, to increase the child care credit to encourage greater use of quality child care services, to provide incentives for studen" (http://www.opencongress.org/bill/112-s160/show)
• Government Policy: Congressional Redistricting: The ... - January 03, 2011 by Government Policy - On February 26, 2009, the Senate passed a related bill, S. 160, by a vote of 61-37. During the 110th Congress, the House passed similar legislation, H.R. 1905, by a vote of 241 to 177. A companion bill, S. 1257, was considered by the ...

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  As noted by Government Policy on January 03, 2011, "On February 26, 2009, the Senate passed a related bill, S. 160, by a vote of 61-37. During the 110th Congress, the House passed similar legislation, H.R. 1905, by a vote of 241 to 177. A companion bill, S. 1257, was considered by the ..." (http://government-policy.blogspot.com/2011/01/congressional-redistricting.html)
• Penny Hill Press » Blog Archive » Congressional Redistricting: The ... - January 03, 2011 by Penny Hill Press - On February 26, 2009, the Senate passed a related bill, S. 160, by a vote of 61-37. During the 110th Congress, the House passed similar legislation, H.R. 1905, by a vote of 241 to 177. A companion bill, S. 1257, was considered by the ...

  Clicking this will add the following text:

  As noted by Penny Hill Press on January 03, 2011, "On February 26, 2009, the Senate passed a related bill, S. 160, by a vote of 61-37. During the 110th Congress, the House passed similar legislation, H.R. 1905, by a vote of 241 to 177. A companion bill, S. 1257, was considered by the ..." (http://www2.pennyhill.com/?p=13997)

Highly Rated News Articles

• 'Broadcast my radio show or you're unfair' - March 15, 2009 by WorldNetDaily - I quoted the Durbin Amendment (SA 591) to the DC voting bill (S. 160) that orders the FCC to require "diversity" in station ownership and "localism" – two ...

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  As noted by WorldNetDaily on March 15, 2009, "I quoted the Durbin Amendment (SA 591) to the DC voting bill (S. 160) that orders the FCC to require "diversity" in station ownership and "localism" – two ..." (http://worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=91903)
• Provide voting rights while protecting the Constitution - March 12, 2009 by St. George Daily Spectrum - As a result, we believe that S.160 rests on a solid constitutional foundation. Kenneth W. Starr, dean of Pepperdine University School of Law, ...

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  As noted by St. George Daily Spectrum on March 12, 2009, "As a result, we believe that S.160 rests on a solid constitutional foundation. Kenneth W. Starr, dean of Pepperdine University School of Law, ..." (http://www.thespectrum.com/article/20090313/OPINION/903130348)
• Las Vegas Sun - March 10, 2009 by Washington Informer - The Senate recently passed S. 160, its version of the DC House Voting Rights Act of 2009 by a vote of 61-37. Yet, to get the votes needed for the bill, ...

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  As noted by Washington Informer on March 10, 2009, "The Senate recently passed S. 160, its version of the DC House Voting Rights Act of 2009 by a vote of 61-37. Yet, to get the votes needed for the bill, ..." (http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/mar/10/ensign-wants-price-dc-voting-right-loosened-gun-la/)