ASSOCIATED PRESS
Stacey Plaskett
Rep. Stacey Plaskett, who represents the U.S. Virgin Islands, received cheers and jeers as she inquired why members of Congress elected by U.S. territories were not included in the roll call for House speaker during the 119th Congress convening on Jan. 3.
“We are collectively the largest per capita of veterans in this country,” said Plaskett, who added that the territories are home to more than 4 million American citizens.
The territories include Plaskett’s home territory of the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands
“We must do something about this problem,” Plaskett said as she received a standing ovation from her Democratic colleagues and calls for “order” from Republicans across the aisle.
Plaskett protested the non-voting rights in Congress for the five delegates and one resident commissioner (Puerto Rico) for the territories of the United States: Virgin Islands, American Samoa, the District of Columbia, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and the free state associated of Puerto Rico, and denounced United States colonialism in these territories.
Only members of Congress elected from U.S. states are eligible to vote for speaker.
Before 2008, Plaskett was a member of the Republican Party, and was appointed by President George W. Bush to serve in the Civil Division of the United States Department of Justice. She switched to the Democratic Party in late 2008.] She served as a House manager (prosecutor) during the second impeachment trial of Donald Trump, the first non-voting House member to do so.
Plaskett was born on May 13, 1966, in Brooklyn, New York. Her parents are both from Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands.
Northwest Asian Weekly contributed to this report.
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