Floridians take note: House vote on Venezuela shows why DeSantis' gerrymander plans are so dangerous
News and views on issues of concern for Floridians and other thoughtful Americans
Every vote counts.
That’s the lesson from yesterday’s vote in the U.S. House of Representatives where a resolution to force Donald Trump to remove troops from Venezuela failed on a 215-215 tie.
Every Democrat voted for the measure while two Republicans switched sides to join the Dems. In the House, tie votes fail.
House Speaker Mike Johnson actually had to hold the vote open longer than scheduled because he was about to lose. One Republican—a Texan trying to get out of D.C. before the winter storm hit—was already at the airport. He had to be rounded up and dragged back to the Capitol to tie things up.
I mention this today because this should resonate here in Florida where Gov. Ron DeSantis plans to call a special session of the state Legislature shortly after the regular session expires in mid-March. The purpose of that new session will be to further gerrymander the state’s congressional districts in Republicans’ favor.
DeSantis is doing this at the insistence of his lord and master Trump because Trump realizes that his stock with American voters is crashing and the G.O.P. could easily lose control of the House in the mid-term elections this November.
If that happens, Trump could be in real trouble, and not just that the House under Democratic leadership would disrupt his egomaniacal impulses. He could be impeached.
Republicans barely control the House as it is, as evidenced by the tie vote, which was preceded by this exchange:
Democratic Rep. Jim McGovern of Massachusetts:
“Shouldn’t we all agree, whether you support Trump’s actions or oppose them, that we should have a debate on this stuff … We can’t be asleep at the switch — no oversight, no hearing, no votes, just blind obedience to the executive. That’s not the way this place is supposed to run.”
To which Republican Rep. Brian Mast of Florida replied:
“The U.S. is not at war with Venezuela. There are no (boots) on the ground. Democrats are asking us to vote on a resolution about a situation that literally does not exist.
No, the boots are on what Trump has called an “armada” off Venezuela’s shore from which the snatch-and-grab of that country’s president was launched.
Anyway, back to the situation on the ground here in the Sunshine State, as I’ve noted before (and will keep hammering on throughout the year), of the 28 congresspersons in Florida, fully 20 of them are already Republicans because of the way the boundaries for congressional districts have been drawn to favor the G.O.P.
The state’s Constitution actually prohibits gerrymandering for political advantage, amendments passed in a 2010 statewide ballot referendum. Not that this will hold DeSantis back.
This Republican advantage in Congress may not surprise many people since it is well known that Florida has gone from a purple to a red state, but that characterization is misleading.
There are 5.5 million registered Republicans in Florida, but that is out of a total of 13.3 million voters.
Meaning that Republican voters comprise much less than half of all voters, or about 41 percent.
Yet they command 71 percent of the state’s congressional delegation.
And DeSantis wants to increase that.
And, if he is successful, and if similar efforts elsewhere in the country are successful, the Republican strategy is that this growth in G.O.P. seats through gerrymandering may be enough to offset what might otherwise be a landslide victory for Democrats.
Which is why some Democratic states, like California, have launched their own countermeasures, doing their own gerrymandering.
All because everyone realizes that every vote counts.
Now, if we can just channel that into increased voter turnout, maybe we can fix some things.
What do you think?
Related:
House rebuffs Venezuela war powers resolution after floor drama
New poll shows Trump’s performance tanking, especially with Dems and independents
J.C. Bruce is the founder of Tropic Press, a Florida online news service dedicated to sharing news and commentary relevant to Florida readers, whether it originates in the Sunshine State or elsewhere. Bruce is an award-winning former newspaper editor, journalist and author living in Florida, his native state.
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J.C. Bruce
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Coming tomorrow
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DeSantis is trying his best to attract the attention of the MAGA crowd. Obviously power is his preference to doing what is good and right for Floridians and our economy! Will be glad to wave bye bye to DeSantis at the end of his term!!
I really think the pandemic, those who got it and have lasting effects, were left with brains of a snail. Brains that have zero logic and can follow the worst kinds of bags of cells like DeSantis and Trump..and his other butt smooches. You see the 5 year old in ICE custody yet?? Breaks my heart.