House Votes To Protect Private Property

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.

Comments

[Kent]

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?