The Associated Press reports the House voted 376-38 to restrict the seizure of private property for use by private developers.
Private Property Rights Protection Act of 2005 would withhold federal money from state and local governments that use powers of eminent domain to force businesses and homeowners to give up their property for commercial uses. All federal economic development funds would be cut off for two years for states and localities that use economic development as a rationale for property seizures.
The U.S. Supreme Court's June decision in Kelo v. City of New London, allowed the city to take several homes for a commercial development. This decision was not surprising to most of the land use lawyers and municipal officials I know. The firestorm of criticism of the decision from such a broad range of private property, civil rights, farm and religious groups is surprising. The New London takings are widely seen as an abuse of eminent domain. The Fifth Amendment's "takings clause" provides for the taking of private property, with fair compensation, for public use. Many fail to see the "public use" of taking of private property for a commercial development like the one in New London.
The result of the rollcall vote is in the extended post, courtesy of the Associated Press. 157 Democrats, 218 Republicans and one Independent voted for the legislation. 36 Democrats and two Republicans voted against the bill.
A "yes" vote is a vote to pass the bill.
X denotes those not voting.
ALABAMA
Democrats — Cramer, Y; Davis, Y.
Republicans — Aderholt, Y; Bachus, X; Bonner, Y; Everett, Y; Rogers, Y.
ALASKA
Republicans — Young, Y.
ARIZONA
Democrats — Grijalva, Y; Pastor, N.
Republicans — Flake, Y; Franks, Y; Hayworth, Y; Kolbe, Y; Renzi, Y; Shadegg, Y.
ARKANSAS
Democrats — Berry, Y; Ross, Y; Snyder, Y.
Republicans — Boozman, Y.
CALIFORNIA
Democrats — Baca, Y; Becerra, Y; Berman, Y; Capps, Y; Cardoza, Y; Costa, Y; Davis, Y; Eshoo, Y; Farr, Y; Filner, Y; Harman, Y; Honda, Y; Lantos, Y; Lee, Y; Lofgren, Zoe, Y; Matsui, Y; Millender-McDonald, Y; Miller, George, N; Napolitano, Y; Pelosi, N; Roybal-Allard, X; SAnchez, Linda T., Y; Sanchez, Loretta, Y; Schiff, X; Sherman, Y; Solis, Y; Stark, N; Tauscher, Y; Thompson, Y; Waters, Y; Watson, Y; Waxman, N; Woolsey, N.
Republicans — Bono, Y; Calvert, Y; Cunningham, Y; Doolittle, Y; Dreier, Y; Gallegly, Y; Herger, Y; Hunter, Y; Issa, Y; Lewis, Y; Lungren, Daniel E., Y; McKeon, Y; Miller, Gary, Y; Nunes, Y; Pombo, X; Radanovich, Y; Rohrabacher, Y; Royce, Y; Thomas, Y.
COLORADO
Democrats — DeGette, N; Salazar, Y; Udall, Y.
Republicans — Beauprez, Y; Hefley, Y; Musgrave, Y; Tancredo, Y.
CONNECTICUT
Democrats — DeLauro, Y; Larson, N.
Republicans — Johnson, Y; Shays, Y; Simmons, Y.
DELAWARE
Republicans — Castle, Y.
FLORIDA
Democrats — Boyd, X; Brown, Corrine, Y; Davis, X; Hastings, X; Meek, Y; Wasserman Schultz, Y; Wexler, Y.
Republicans — Bilirakis, Y; Brown-Waite, Ginny, X; Crenshaw, Y; Diaz-Balart, L., Y; Diaz-Balart, M., Y; Feeney, Y; Foley, Y; Harris, Y; Keller, Y; Mack, Y; Mica, Y; Miller, Y; Putnam, Y; Ros-Lehtinen, Y; Shaw, Y; Stearns, Y; Weldon, Y; Young, Y.
GEORGIA
Democrats — Barrow, Y; Bishop, Y; Lewis, X; Marshall, Y; McKinney, Y; Scott, Y.
Republicans — Deal, Y; Gingrey, Y; Kingston, Y; Linder, Y; Norwood, X; Price, Y; Westmoreland, Y.
HAWAII
Democrats — Abercrombie, Y; Case, N.
IDAHO
Republicans — Otter, Y; Simpson, Y.
ILLINOIS
Democrats — Bean, Y; Costello, Y; Davis, Y; Emanuel, N; Evans, Y; Gutierrez, Y; Jackson, N; Lipinski, Y; Rush, Y; Schakowsky, N.
Republicans — Biggert, Y; Hastert, X (the speaker by tradition often does not vote); Hyde, Y; Johnson, Y; Kirk, Y; LaHood, Y; Manzullo, Y; Shimkus, Y; Weller, Y.
INDIANA
Democrats — Carson, Y; Visclosky, N.
Republicans — Burton, Y; Buyer, X; Chocola, Y; Hostettler, Y; Pence, Y; Sodrel, Y; Souder, Y.
IOWA
Democrats — Boswell, X.
Republicans — King, Y; Latham, Y; Leach, Y; Nussle, Y.
KANSAS
Democrats — Moore, Y.
Republicans — Moran, Y; Ryun, Y; Tiahrt, X.
KENTUCKY
Democrats — Chandler, Y.
Republicans — Davis, Y; Lewis, Y; Northup, Y; Rogers, Y; Whitfield, Y.
LOUISIANA
Democrats — Jefferson, Y; Melancon, Y.
Republicans — Alexander, Y; Baker, Y; Boustany, Y; Jindal, Y; McCrery, Y.
MAINE
Democrats — Allen, Y; Michaud, Y.
MARYLAND
Democrats — Cardin, Y; Cummings, Y; Hoyer, Y; Ruppersberger, Y; Van Hollen, Y; Wynn, N.
Republicans — Bartlett, Y; Gilchrest, Y.
MASSACHUSETTS
Democrats — Capuano, N; Delahunt, Y; Frank, Y; Lynch, Y; Markey, Y; McGovern, Y; Meehan, Y; Neal, N; Olver, N; Tierney, Y.
MICHIGAN
Democrats — Conyers, Y; Dingell, N; Kildee, Y; Kilpatrick, Y; Levin, N; Stupak, Y.
Republicans — Camp, Y; Ehlers, X; Hoekstra, Y; Knollenberg, Y; McCotter, Y; Miller, Y; Rogers, Y; Schwarz, Y; Upton, Y.
MINNESOTA
Democrats — McCollum, Y; Oberstar, Y; Peterson, Y; Sabo, N.
Republicans — Gutknecht, Y; Kennedy, Y; Kline, Y; Ramstad, Y.
MISSISSIPPI
Democrats — Taylor, Y; Thompson, Y.
Republicans — Pickering, Y; Wicker, Y.
MISSOURI
Democrats — Carnahan, Y; Clay, Y; Cleaver, N; Skelton, Y.
Republicans — Akin, Y; Blunt, Y; Emerson, Y; Graves, Y; Hulshof, Y.
MONTANA
Republicans — Rehberg, Y.
NEBRASKA
Republicans — Fortenberry, Y; Osborne, Y; Terry, Y.
NEVADA
Democrats — Berkley, Y.
Republicans — Gibbons, Y; Porter, Y.
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Republicans — Bass, Y; Bradley, Y.
NEW JERSEY
Democrats — Andrews, Y; Holt, Y; Menendez, Y; Pallone, Y; Pascrell, Y; Payne, Y; Rothman, N.
Republicans — Ferguson, Y; Frelinghuysen, Y; Garrett, Y; LoBiondo, Y; Saxton, Y; Smith, Y.
NEW MEXICO
Democrats — Udall, Y.
Republicans — Pearce, Y; Wilson, Y.
NEW YORK
Democrats — Ackerman, N; Bishop, Y; Crowley, Y; Engel, Y; Higgins, Y; Hinchey, N; Israel, Y; Lowey, N; Maloney, Y; McCarthy, Y; McNulty, Y; Meeks, N; Nadler, N; Owens, Y; Rangel, Y; Serrano, Y; Slaughter, Y; Towns, Y; VelAzquez, Y; Weiner, Y.
Republicans — Boehlert, N; Fossella, Y; Kelly, Y; King, Y; Kuhl, Y; McHugh, Y; Reynolds, Y; Sweeney, Y; Walsh, Y.
NORTH CAROLINA
Democrats — Butterfield, Y; Etheridge, Y; McIntyre, Y; Miller, N; Price, Y; Watt, N.
Republicans — Coble, Y; Foxx, Y; Hayes, Y; Jones, Y; McHenry, Y; Myrick, Y; Taylor, Y.
NORTH DAKOTA
Democrats — Pomeroy, Y.
OHIO
Democrats — Brown, Y; Jones, Y; Kaptur, Y; Kucinich, Y; Ryan, Y; Strickland, Y.
Republicans — Boehner, Y; Chabot, Y; Gillmor, Y; Hobson, Y; LaTourette, Y; Ney, Y; Oxley, Y; Pryce, Y; Regula, Y; Schmidt, Y; Tiberi, Y; Turner, N.
OKLAHOMA
Democrats — Boren, Y.
Republicans — Cole, Y; Istook, Y; Lucas, Y; Sullivan, X.
OREGON
Democrats — Blumenauer, N; DeFazio, Y; Hooley, Y; Wu, Y.
Republicans — Walden, Y.
PENNSYLVANIA
Democrats — Brady, N; Doyle, Y; Fattah, N; Holden, Y; Kanjorski, Y; Murtha, Y; Schwartz, N.
Republicans — Dent, Y; English, Y; Fitzpatrick, Y; Gerlach, Y; Hart, Y; Murphy, Y; Peterson, Y; Pitts, Y; Platts, Y; Sherwood, Y; Shuster, Y; Weldon, Y.
RHODE ISLAND
Democrats — Kennedy, Y; Langevin, Y.
SOUTH CAROLINA
Democrats — Clyburn, Y; Spratt, Y.
Republicans — Barrett, Y; Brown, Y; Inglis, Y; Wilson, Y.
SOUTH DAKOTA
Democrats — Herseth, Y.
TENNESSEE
Democrats — Cooper, Y; Davis, Y; Ford, Y; Gordon, Y; Tanner, Y.
Republicans — Blackburn, Y; Duncan, Y; Jenkins, Y; Wamp, Y.
TEXAS
Democrats — Cuellar, Y; Doggett, Y; Edwards, Y; Gonzalez, Y; Green, Al, Y; Green, Gene, Y; Hinojosa, Y; Jackson-Lee, Y; Johnson, E. B., Y; Ortiz, X; Reyes, Y.
Republicans — Barton, Y; Bonilla, Y; Brady, Y; Burgess, Y; Carter, Y; Conaway, Y; Culberson, Y; DeLay, Y; Gohmert, Y; Granger, Y; Hall, Y; Hensarling, Y; Johnson, Sam, Y; Marchant, Y; McCaul, Y; Neugebauer, Y; Paul, Y; Poe, Y; Sessions, Y; Smith, Y; Thornberry, Y.
UTAH
Democrats — Matheson, Y.
Republicans — Bishop, Y; Cannon, Y.
VERMONT
Independent — Sanders, Y.
VIRGINIA
Democrats — Boucher, X; Moran, N; Scott, N.
Republicans — Cantor, Y; Davis, Jo Ann, Y; Davis, Tom, Y; Drake, Y; Forbes, Y; Goode, Y; Goodlatte, Y; Wolf, X.
WASHINGTON
Democrats — Baird, Y; Dicks, Y; Inslee, Y; Larsen, Y; McDermott, N; Smith, Y.
Republicans — Hastings, Y; McMorris, X; Reichert, Y.
WEST VIRGINIA
Democrats — Mollohan, Y; Rahall, Y.
Republicans — Capito, Y.
WISCONSIN
Democrats — Baldwin, Y; Kind, Y; Moore, Y; Obey, Y.
Republicans — Green, Y; Petri, Y; Ryan, Y; Sensenbrenner, Y.
WYOMING
Republicans — Cubin, Y.
Boy, do I have mixed feelings about this one. Kelo was an awful decision. But the use of federal funding as a lever to get local government to toe the line is a gross violation of federalism.
Which is the lesser evil?
Posted by: Kent | Friday, November 04, 2005 at 05:26 PM