Letter from Shelley Berkley to Representative Tom Davis, Chairman of the Committee on Government Reform, regarding treatment of H.J. Res. 59, July 28, 2005 (2 pages)

SHELLEY BERKLEY 1ST DISTRICT, NEVADA COMMITTEES: I N T E R N A T I O N A L R E L A T I O N S SUBCOMMITTEE ON EUROPE AND EMERGING THREATS 4 3 9 C A N N O N H O U S E O F F I C E B U I L D I N G W A S H I N G T O N , D C 2 0 5 1 5 ( 2 0 2 ) 2 2 5 - 5 9 6 5 F A X : ( 2 0 2 ) 2 2 5 - 3 1 1 9 Congress of the United States Washington, DC 20515-2801 July 28, 2005 SUBCOMMITTEE ON MIDDLE E A S T AND CENTRAL A S I A T R A N S P O R T A T I O N A N D I N F R A S T R U C T U R E SUBCOMMITTEE ON AVIATION shelley.berkley@mail.house.gov 2 3 4 0 P A S E O D E L P R A D O S U I T E D 1 0 6 L A S V E G A S , N E V A D A 8 9 1 0 2 ( 7 0 2 ) 2 2 0 - 9 8 2 3 F A X : ( 7 0 2 ) 2 2 0 - 9 8 4 1 www.house.gov/befklev SUBCOMMITTEE ON HIGHWAYS, TRANSIT AND PIPELINES V E T E R A N S ' A F F A I R S RANKING MEMBER, SUBCOMMITTEE ON DISABILITY AND MEMORIAL AFFAIRS The Honorable Tom Davis CAUCUS TASK FORCES: CHAIR, TAX AND BUDGET T A S K FORCE CO-CHAIR, GAMING CAUCUS CO-CHAIR, STOP D U I CAUCUS Chairman Committee on Government Reform U.S. House of Representatives 2157 Rayburn HOB J Washington, D.C. ?' Dear Chairm^flJavis, W / I wish to express my extreme displeasure with how your Committee staff handled my resolution, H.J.Res. 59, when it was brought to the floor of the House on July 25. I introduced this resolution in response to the actions of two young girls from Southern Nevada, who were surprised when they learned in school that women hadn't always enjoyed the right to vote in our country. These girls decided to circulate a petition to establish a national holiday honoring America's suffragists. Because establishing such a holiday would be in violation of House rules, the resolution I drafted, approved in advance by the office of the House Parliamentarian, would have declared it the sense of Congress that "an appropriate day should be established for the commemoration of the women suffragists who worked for the right of women to vote in the United States." I am alarmed that, without my knowledge or approval, a decision was made by your Committee staff to alter the text of my resolution shortly before it was considered by the House earlier this week. My language was removed and replaced with a sense of Congress that "women suffragists should be revered and celebrated for working to ensure the right of women to vote in the United States." This change was made so late that Mr. Issa, who moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill on the floor, used the original language in describing the bill as "expressing the sense of Congress with respect to the establishment of an appropriate day for the commemoration of the women suffragists who fought for and won the right of women to vote in the United States." In my opinion, this change completely undermines the intent of the resolution, and breaks faith with the two girls who originally set this process in motion with their curiosity and hard work. It is my understanding that the majority staff on the Committee unilaterally altered the text of my resolution, not because the language in question was in violation of House rules, but in the name of a long-standing Committee policy against considering resolutions which contain such language. I am aware, however, of other instances in which the Committee has either voted out or forwarded to the full House resolutions containing almost identical language. PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER Page 2 July 28, 2005 In light of the inconsistent application of a "policy" that may or may not exist, I request your assistance in restoring my original language as the resolution makes its way through the Senate, and ensuring that the House agrees expeditiously to the amended resolution. Thank you for your cc: The Honorable Henry Waxman Ranking Democratic Member Committee on Government Reform