Hoyer OKs Some Held-Open Votes

[NewJerseyDem]

http://www.rollcall.com/issues/50_6/news/6233-1.html

Just as Rep. Marty Meehan (D-Mass.) prepares to introduce a bill to fight GOP abuses of power, Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) conceded Tuesday that there might be circumstances in which a Democratic majority would have to hold open votes.

Hoyer, speaking at his regular briefing with reporters, said he doesn’t believe Democrats were corrupt, as minority Republicans charged in the early 1990s, when they held open votes for “10, 15 minutes” beyond the 15-minute minimum time frame called for under the House rules. But what does border on being corrupt, he said, is the practice of holding open a vote to change the outcome of a bill — and he blamed Republicans for doing just that.

“I would call a corrupt act leaving the ballot open for so long that obviously the only thing that is happening is the subversion of the will of the Members and forcing them in effect to vote the way you want,” Hoyer said.

Hoyer tried to draw a distinction between giving Members enough time to get to the floor to participate, and keeping votes open indefinitely to achieve a desired outcome. Hoyer cited the example of extending votes when Members are returning from a White House meeting.