More Republicans Supporting D.C. Vote Bill

| Print Post This | Like (0) | Comments (0)

THIS MORNING on Capitol Hill, legislation that would give the District a full and equal vote in the House is set to be marked up by the Senate Governmental Affairs and Homeland Security Committee during a hearing at the Dirksen Building at 10 a.m. The committee, chaired by Independent-Democrat Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, has already been through one hearing on the issue.

But advocates of the legislation, which has already passed the House, should be excited going into this morning's hearing: More Republicans are reportedly getting behind the legislation. As WTOP political commentator Mark Plotkin wrote during his regular washingtonpost.com chat yesterday, the ranking Republican on the committee, Maine's Susan Collins, is supporting the bill, and two more Republicans — Norm Coleman of Minnesota and George Voinovich of Ohio — will "quite likely" back it as well.

The growing Republican support might not be enough to secure a legislative victory, however. Getting 60 votes to break a potential filibuster, or a two-thirds majority in either house of Congress to override a threatened presidential veto, is the bigger obstacle.

» "Senate Mark-Up of the DC House Voting Rights Act (S. 1257)" [D.C. Vote]
» "D.C., Maryland and Virginia Politics" [Live Online/WaPo]

Photo by Michael Grass/Express