Testimony on H. R. 2499

Documentation of the testimony pertaining to H.R. 2499  before the Senate Committee on Energy and National Resources:

In favor of  H. R. 2499  — LUIS G. FORTUÑO GOVERNOR OF PUERTO RICO and Congressman Pedro R. Pierluisi

Against: Hon. Rubén Berríos Martínez President Puerto Rican Independence Party and HÉCTOR J. FERRER RIOS PRESIDENT OF POPULAR DEMOCRATIC PARTY

If you have the patience to read this testimony, you will find these men are either in favor of or against H. R. 2499, based on their assessment of the likely outcome.  A reasonable position for all of them.  You will notice, if you read between the lines, that all of them are clear that this bill stacks the deck.   The side poised to win is in favor.  The side the deck is being stacked against are understandably upset about it.

I will probably live if Puerto Rico becomes a state, or becomes independent, or remains a commonwealth.  I still maintain though, that allowing the Congress of the United States to stack the deck — which all of these witnesses recognize has happened — should have us all upset.  The catastrophic danger to us is the precedent set by allowing non-residents to vote in the election simply on the  strength of having been born in Puerto Rico.   The audacity of the U. S. House of Representatives in passing this measure is beyond the pale.

My earlier posts about this issue are here and here.

Update on H.R. 2499

H.R. 2499 passed with bipartisan support in the House.  I think all those voting for it should be ashamed.

I wrote at length on April 29th about the dangerous precedent that Congress is setting by mandating that non-residents be allowed to vote in the plebicites authorized by the bill.  I won’t repeat myself here.  This travesty is on the calendar for a hearing before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources  on 5/19/2010 at 9:30 AM

In the Congressional Research Service document Political Status of Puerto Rico: Options for Congress one can find this statement: “Proposals to allow those living outside Puerto Rico  to vote in plebiscites do not appear to have generated substantial controversy.”

I think we need to show there is substantial controversy.  That is, if you want to continue having fair elections in the United States of America.  There is a link to the members of the Senate Committee on the committee website.  There will be no better opportunity to make opposition known than before this hearing.

Let’s Reqire 75 Votes in the Senate

Harry Reid, 5/4/2010 (from the floor of the Senate)

I also hope we don’t get locked into something that appears to be the order of the Congress around here; that is, everything has to have 60 votes. I can’t speak for everyone, but I will certainly do everything within my power to tell my Senators, let’s just have 50-vote margins. Why do we need to have 60 votes on everything we do around here? It makes it so much more difficult. I believe it is unnecessary.

Hooray for “so much more difficult”!  I say let’s have bigger margins, not smaller.  Don’t pass anything unless it is such a good idea that it is practically uncontested.  Don’t pass any measure unless Democrat and Republican alike look at it and exclaim “Why didn’t we think of this before?”  It’s only difficult to get the votes because most of the country is against the things this Congress is doing.  If they stop it, Senator Reid’s margin problem will simply vanish.

Oh.  I know I’ve said it here before, but if you listen closely to narcissists, they will tell you exactly what they are doing.  It’s a compulsion and they can’t help it.  And all you folks were thinking those were YOUR senators?