Republicans strip DC's voice and vote in House action

One of the first orders of business for the Republican-controlled House was to strip D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton of her limited voice on the floor of the House. Shortly after the chamber convened Jan. 5, Republican leaders of the 112th Congress withdrew Norton's right to vote when the House is convened in what is known as the Committee of the Whole, when the chamber assumes the form of a massive committee to consider legislation or other issues. The measure was part of an opening day rules package that stripped Norton, Dels. Donna Christiansen (D-Virgin Islands), Eni Faleomavaega (D"American Samoa), Madeleine Bordallo (D"Guam) and Gregorio C. Sablan (D-Northern Marianas) and Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi (D-Puerto Rico) of the partial vote granted them in 1993 when Democrats ruled the chamber. Norton and the other delegates to Congress were allowed to vote in committee but not allowed to take part in legislative floor votes. In 2009, Norton had championed a bill which would have given D.C. a voting representative in the House. The bill passed the Senate but failed to clear the House that year.