Parties split on delegate voting rights in 113th's first roll call

In its first substantive vote of the year, the 113th Congress split along party lines over a Republican rules package that would prevent delegates from Washington, D.C., and territories like Puerto Rico from voting in the Committee of the Whole House.

Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) called up his rules package for the new Congress, H.Res. 5, soon after the new Congress was sworn in.

But Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) immediately made a motion to create a committee to see if the rule should continue to restrict delegates like her from voting when the House meets as a Committee of the Whole.

The House often meets as a Committee of the Whole when considering amendments to legislation.

Norton's motion was to have a new committee study whether there is "any reason to deny delegates voting rights in the committee of the whole House" in light of a recent Washington court decision on the issue. She said that decision upheld the constitutionality of these rights.

Cantor responded by making a motion to table, or kill, Holmes Norton's request.

Republicans presided in a 224-187 vote. Every Republican voted to table Holmes Norton's motion, and no Democrat joined the GOP.

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