The Hill News

Many of the people of the Northern Mariana Islands are different from other Americans. We weren’t born U.S. citizens. We didn’t immigrate here. We chose to become citizens through a collective vote. So we have a special appreciation for our citizenship and the power of voting.

On Wednesday we lost the power of the vote in the Committee of the Whole of the U.S. House of Representatives. The Republican Rules for the 112th Congress did away with the privilege to have our views heard, when the laws are enacted under which we must live.

Ours was a completely symbolic vote. The Rules adopted by Democratic majorities in the 110th and 111th Congresses specified that if the votes of delegates or the resident commissioner from Puerto Rico ever made a difference, there could be a revote excluding them.

Read more...