WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA) is introducing H. Res. 736, the “Stand for Something Resolution,” which eliminates the option to vote “present” and forces members of the U.S. House of Representatives to take a “yes” or “no” stance on legislation.
Members of Congress have used the “present” voting option to avoid taking a stand on consequential pieces of legislation. Some recent examples include:
- On July 18, 2018, 133 House Democrats voted “present” on H. Res. 990, Congressman Higgins’ resolution to support ICE agents and their mission.
- On March 26, 2019, 43 Senate Democrats voted “present” on S.J. Res. 8, the Green New Deal. This included Democratic presidential candidates Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, Amy Klobuchar, Michael Bennet, and Kirsten Gillibrand.
- On October 29, 2019, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) voted “present” on H. Res. 296, a bill condemning the Armenian genocide.
Congressman Higgins issued the following statement:
“Members of Congress weren’t sent to DC to sit on the sidelines and vote ‘present.’ With a vote on articles of impeachment potentially forthcoming, voting ‘present’ shouldn’t be an option.
“We were not elected to be silent. The American people deserve to know where every member of Congress stands. We should have the courage of our convictions to either vote for or against every piece of legislation. To vote ‘present’ reflects fear.”
