HOUSE RESOLUTION: Clean House Amendment (Failed)

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

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Section 3. Enactment

This amendment shall take effect on the first regularly scheduled federal election following ratification.[/quote]

Atlasian People's House of Representatives
Pending
[/quote]

Sponsor: NC Yankee
House Designation: HR 1175

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

The sponsor has 24 hours to begin advocating for this, and all other members have an additional 48 hours to respond with there initial concerns, questions and the like.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

So, as we promised in our House Platform in the October 2017 election, an amendment is being brought up for debate and a vote to reduce the House of Representatives to seven members from nine. I had several different versions that I was working on, but ultimately the holidays made work more demanding and time that I ended up having off a week ago, was spent in agony after an emergency dental visit.

Anyway, this version was composed by Senator Scott, since it is going to be introduced in both chambers, this will speed up the process as well and therefore I opted to introduce his version, as opposed to rewriting the section, which is what I was endeavoring to do in my drafts.

I will say that it is with reluctance that we proceed in this fashion and we should note the fact that we are only doing so, because the circumstances dictated. We must dedicate ourselves and remain committed to ensuring an equal voice for the people in the Congress of Atlasia. This is our country's most democratic institution and the one that best reflects the people and the diversity of this game and ensures that the interests of the nation are being advanced with an equal voice to those of sectional an interest.

Our system of government is superior because it ensures an equal seat at the table for people the people and the regions and thereby strives to ensure that both are adequately represented and that the policy outcomes take into consideration all critical factors and all sections of the countries.

It is concerning that the forces of elitism and institutionalism have taken aim at the People's House, when it has been the house that has routinely been a voice for advocating for the national interest, from ensuring that we do not add recklessly to the debt, to seeking to reform and safeguard our electoral process from corruption and fraud, to ensuring that an alternative viewpoint is present on a number of issues. As we take this step, we must make clear that we are taking this step to strengthen and improve the House, its activity and its quality of membership, as opposed to trying to degradate or erode the most democratic and popular institution in this federal Republic, and avoid this country being turned into some elitist oligarchy, where the people are ignored and cheated.

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

I am strongly opposed to this bill because I view it as highly unnecessary to shrink the size of the House. We should keep nine members because it allows more accurate representation for smaller ideological subsets of the Atlasian population. A seven member house wouldn't solve any of our current problems relating to activity and would potentially further stunt debate on key issues and bills.

[RFayette]

I am very much opposed to this bill.  I enjoy working with all 8 of my colleagues and see shrinking the House as unnecessary and counterproductive.  As LouisvilleThunder pointed out, this also has the effect of reducing ideological diversity and perspectives in the House.  This bill should not go forward.

[Mad Deadly Worldwide Communist Gangster Computer God]

If I may chime in as the author and Senate sponsor...

To reiterate, this was not a choice I wanted the Congress to have to consider, but I agreed with Yankee's proposal last month because we are undoubtedly facing an activity crisis in the game, especially in House campaigns which frequently consist of little or nothing more than a single post in the declaration thread.  Parties constantly scramble to find people willing to run up until the last minute.  The last election had a grand total of ten people competing to fill a nine-member body.

This isn't the first time a legislative body in the game has had to shrink itself to accommodate for public disinterest, and as someone who's worked with the regional government in Lincoln I can attest to it being sometimes necessary for the function of the legislature.  I hope that this body will consider the merits of this proposal in light of the current state of the game as opposed to what we would like it to be.

[JGibson]

I agree with the concerns that Louisville Thunder and RFayette in the Federalist Caucus raise regarding the reduction of Congresspersons from 9 to 7.

I also agree with the esteemed Senator Scott from my region on the concerns regarding the Atlasian inactivity crisis plaguing Atlasia and finding enough electors for offices.

In closing, this bill shall be a no-go for passage.

[VPH]

I think this is a bad idea. The current format of 9 members allows for strong ideological diversity and better debate. Sure, when times are busy it's tough for everybody, but I think that having 9 has in no way hindered our ability to govern or pass legislation. I would contend that it makes the House more successful.

[Former Senator Haslam2020]

I am strongly opposed to this bill because I view it as highly unnecessary to shrink the size of the House. We should keep nine members because it allows more accurate representation for smaller ideological subsets of the Atlasian population. A seven member house wouldn't solve any of our current problems relating to activity and would potentially further stunt debate on key issues and bills.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I motion for a final vote, Representatives have 24 hours to object.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

just 10 minutes left to object.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

A final vote is now open on this amendment, Representatives please vote Aye, Nay or Abstain.

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

NAY!

[JGibson]

NAY

[Former Senator Haslam2020]

Nay!

[Illiniwek]

Nay

[President of the great nation of 🏳️‍⚧️]

Nay

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

AYE

[VPH]

Nay

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Vote on Final Passage of the Clean House Amendment:

Aye (1): NC Yankee
Nay (6): Haslam2020, Illiniwek, JGibson, LouisvilleThunder, Peebs and VPH
Abstain (0):

Didn't Vote (2): Pessimistic and Rfayette.

Wit 2/3rds of the House having not voted in the affirmative, The Resolution is now adopted.