Congressional Dels. James Moylan of Guam and Stacey Plaskett of the Virgin Islands are calling on Congress to investigate barriers to equal voting rights in the U.S. territories.
Moylan, a Republican, and Plaskett, a Democrat, have introduced H.R. 42-92, a measure that would establish a 15-member bipartisan task force with members from the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate.
The group would study the obstacles preventing full voting rights for U.S. citizens in the territories, conduct local hearings and gather testimony.
The task force’s work would conclude with a formal report presented to Congress within a year.
“The task force we are seeking to establish would study the long-term effects of this exclusion and examine what barriers exist to voting representation. It is important that we look at how we can guarantee American citizens in the territories have a seat at the table,” Moylan said in a news release.
He noted that although people in territories serve in the military in higher rates than stateside citizens, “we cannot vote for our Commander in Chief, nor vote in the House of Representatives, or have our voices heard in the Senate.”
The bill was introduced on Emancipation Day in the U.S. Vigin Islands, which marks the July 3, 1848, abolition of slavery in the former Danish colony.
“The last five territories of the United States remain in a perpetual limbo status with no path to full inclusion for residents,” Plaskett said. “Congress has a constitutional responsibility for the territories, and this legislation will provide an avenue to examine access to the ballot and address this democratic deficit.”
