I love parliamentary procedure. Though most often formal, sometimes it’s downright wacky.
Take, for example, the filibuster, the device members of Congress use to delay action on a bill. How? With hours and hours of endless talk, or rambling, as the case may be. Examples have ranged from reading biblical passages to cookbook recipes. Strom Thurmond set the record in 1957 when he delivered a 24-hour-and-18-minute-long filibuster. He chose to read the election laws for all 48 states.
The tactic seems a bit like cheating. It prevents a bill or nomination from being passed even though your party is in the minority. But the filibuster has been a part of parliamentary procedure for centuries and is useful as a check against the majority party.
Coming in even higher on the wacky-but-cool scale is the ability of state legislatures to present resolutions to the floor of Congress.
The Rhode Island state legislature is currently toying with the idea of presenting Congress with articles for President George W. Bush’s impeachment. According to House rules, resolutions presented by a state are of the highest priority and supercede all other business. Why Rhode Island? The Rhode Island legislature has a veto-proof majority. The term unofficial term describes the “annulment” of the executive branch’s veto. When a bill is initially voted in with so many votes, any veto is sure to be overridden.
Similarly, the District could work the system to make up for its lack of Congressional representation. While the city cannot pass articles of impeachment, the city holds some power thanks to the U.S. Federal Courts.
Remember Patrick Fitzgerald and the investigation of various White House officials in the CIA leak probe? The grand jury that indicted the vice president’s chief of staff was from the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Who served on the grand jury? You guessed it, residents of the District of Columbia.
The CIA leak probe is not the first time that D.C. residents have served on juries for cases involving the federal government. During the Watergate scandal in the Nixon administration, jurors indicted many of Nixon’s closest advisers, some of whom did prison time.
The District of Columbia has its own check on the government the city plays host to. The citizens of the District, who lack a voting representative in Congress, still have the ultimate vote. They have the power to decide the guilt or innocence of crimes committed by government officials in the nation’s capital. If Libby’s case goes to trial—perhaps one of many—District voters will get their chance. Just don’t skip out on jury duty.
