Ratcliffe mischaracterizes House republicans on term limits
The Chronicle's R.G. Ratcliffe includes this line in the latest speculation about whether Kay Bailey Hutchison will run for governor of Texas:
Term limits were a popular Republican campaign issue in 1994, serving as a centerpiece of Newt Gingrich's Contract with America. Term limits also were one of the first agenda items dropped by Republicans once they gained control of the U.S. House.
Does anybody check facts at the Chronicle?
Here is the relevant excerpt from the Contract with America:
Thereafter, within the first 100 days of the 104th Congress, we shall bring to the House Floor the following bills, each to be given full and open debate, each to be given a clear and fair vote and each to be immediately available this day for public inspection and scrutiny.
[snip]
10. THE CITIZEN LEGISLATURE ACT: A first-ever vote on term limits to replace career politicians with citizen legislators....
Here is the roll call vote on House Joint Resolution 73, a proposed constitutional amendment to limits terms of Senators and Representatives. The joint resolution actually received a plurality in favor (227 to 204), but failed because a proposed constitutional amendment requires a 2/3 vote in favor to pass.
The resolution did NOT fail because, as Ratcliffe erroneously asserts, Republicans dropped it as an agenda item. Rather, it failed because Republicans were not able to bring enough Democrats on board to secure a 2/3 majority. However, as with other key elements of the Contract with America, Republicans did bring the matter to a roll call vote on the floor of the House, as promised.
Whatever Ratcliffe's intent, the effect of this erroneous characterization in a "news" article is to paint Republicans as hypocrites -- a view certainly consonant with recent Chronicle editorializing, but not consistent with facts.
UPDATE: I should add that this is not information that is hard to find. Google is very useful, but most everything a person would need is in the Wikipedia entry on the Contract with America.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 03/26/05 09:08 AM | Houston Chronicle | Print | Comments (4)
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