44 House Republicans Sign Letter to Speaker Opposing
Plan to Pass VRA Renewal Through a "Supsension" Vote (That is, without
the opportunity to debate or add amendments)
Forty-four conservative members of the House of Representatives have
sent this
letter
to Speaker Hastert and Majority Leader Boehner urging that the VRA
renewal currently pending before Congress "be given full floor
consideration, including amendments" rather than the plan to bring the
matter up on the suspension calendar without the opportunity to debate
or add amendments.
The letter further states: "We fully support renewal of the VRA, but
only if it can be modernized." Another snippet:
The formula in Section 5 can be updated to reflect today's
realities. Section 203 can be amended to avoid a more serious burden on
the states. A lack of willingness to update the Voting Rights Act to
reflect the 21st Century, simply because the alternative is more
palliative to some of our fiercest political opponents is inexcusable.
Holding some jurisdictions to outdated standards is not good for our
nation, our minority constituents, or our party.
It ends with an implicit threat:
As a significant number of the Republican Party's most faithful
members in the House, we would find it incredibly undesirable for the
resolution of this current difference on how to approach VRA renewal to
cause future cracks in our party's cohesiveness. We fear it absolutely
will.
Strong stuff. We'll see if it affects the form of debate in the House.
Posted by Rick Hasen at
11:57 AM --
Rick Hasen
William H. Hannon Distinguished Professor of Law
Loyola Law School
919 Albany Street
Los Angeles, CA 90015-1211
(213)736-1466
(213)380-3769 - fax
rick.hasen@lls.edu
http://www.lls.edu/academics/faculty/hasen.html
http://electionlawblog.org