Could DSA Members Be Blocked from Congress? Obscure Rule Explained.
Summary
Republican lawmakers Keith Self and Tim Burchett have suggested challenging whether some newly elected Democratic Socialists of America-backed representatives should be sworn into Congress. A 1969 Supreme Court ruling says Congress cannot refuse to seat a duly elected member who meets the Constitution’s age, citizenship, and residency requirements, making an exclusion based on political beliefs subject to legal challenge.Key Facts
- Keith Self said DSA members who support replacing the Constitution should not take the oath of office.
- Tim Burchett threatened to challenge New York candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier if she wins her election.
- Under the proposed tactic, a House member could object to a member-elect, followed by debate and a House vote.
- The Supreme Court ruled in 1969 that Congress cannot refuse to seat a duly elected member who meets the constitutional requirements for office.
- The article identifies those requirements as age, citizenship, and residency.
- The DSA’s political program calls for replacing the existing Constitution, but DSA membership does not necessarily mean a candidate endorses every part of its platform.
- The article names DSA-backed candidates Avila Chevalier, Claire Valdez, Melat Kiros, Donavan McKinney, and Christopher Rabb.
- House Speaker Mike Johnson said Republicans would follow the law, and the article says expelling a seated member requires a two-thirds vote.
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