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Huckabee backs D.C. voting rights bill |
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By Karissa Marcum
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Posted: 08/31/07 08:24 PM [ET] |
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) is breaking with President Bush on the D.C. voting rights bill.
In a teleconference with reporters on Friday, Huckabee said, “They’re American citizens. They pay taxes and it just doesn’t seem right that someone could be even partially disenfranchised.”
The bill would allow the District of Columbia to have a full voting member of Congress and permanently increase House membership by two seats, the other one for Republican-leaning Utah. The House passed its measure in April and the Senate is expected to act on the issue this fall.
Huckabee acknowledged the reluctance of some of his fellow Republicans to back the bill. He has not been shy in bucking his party on some matters, saying, “I’ve been running for president of the United States, I am not running for president of the Republican Party.”
The White House released a statement in March stating the president would be advised to veto the bill if it reached his desk, citing concerns that giving the district a representative would be unconstitutional.
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