House Republicans Vote Before Swearing In

2 Reps' votes invalidated after blunder
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Suggested by GoingLikeSixty
Posted Jan 7, 2011 1:17 AM CST
House Republicans Vote Before Swearing In
House Speaker John Boehner reacts after finishing what was thought to be the last of the over 100 mock swearing-ins on Capitol Hill in Washington Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2011.   (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

House Republicans were left red-faced yesterday after realizing that two of them had cast votes even though they weren't technically members of Congress. Reps. Pete Sessions and Mike Fitzpatrick skipped this week's official swearing-in ceremony on the House floor to attend a ceremony elsewhere. The eight votes they cast during the 112th Congress will be invalidated, the Washington Post reports.

The two have now been sworn in, and Republicans have pledged to address all the technical issues arising from the error. Democrats were quick to pounce on the blunder, Roll Call notes. “Despite the fact that they read the Constitution today, they should have read it yesterday, actually,” said a senior Democratic aide. “I guess swearing in their members wasn’t part of their pledge.” (More 112th Congress stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X