U.S. Virgin Islands Delegate Stacey Plaskett raised objections Friday to the nonvoting status of the Virgin Islands and other U.S. territories, drawing mixed reactions when she accused the United States of having a “colonies problem” during remarks on the House floor.
The exchange unfolded after Plaskett, a Democrat, stood following the first roll call vote to raise what she described as a parliamentary inquiry, Fox News reported.
Plaskett proceeded to question the House clerk, asking why she and other delegates from the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia were excluded from participating in the House Speaker vote, though she already knew the answer.
Plaskett highlighted that the excluded delegates collectively represent approximately four million Americans, including what she described as “the largest per capita of veterans in this country.”
Amid Republican calls of “order!” echoing in the background, the House clerk clarified that the delegates-elect and the resident commissioner-elect are not authorized to vote in the election for House Speaker.
“Representatives-elect are the only individuals qualified to vote in the election of a speaker, as provided in Section 36 of the House Rules and Manual,” the clerk explained.
That response prompted an impassioned response from Plaskett. “This body, and this nation, has a territories and a colonies problem,” she complained, which led some Democrats to give her a standing ovation, as Republicans booed her.
“What was supposed to be temporary has now effectively become permanent,” she said. “We must do something about this problem.”
Moments later, it appeared as though her mic had been cut to stop the ranting, according to Fox.
WATCH:
U.S. Virgin Islands delegate Stacy Plaskett, a New York-born Democrat, whines on the House floor that delegates don’t get to vote for House Speaker.
She knows this. She’s been the VI delegate since 2015. She got shut down with a mic cut.
Democrats gonna Democrat. pic.twitter.com/4QlR4fwBu5
— USA Features Media (@UsaFeatures) January 5, 2025
Plaskett has been a non-voting delegate for the U.S. Virgin Islands since 2015, during which period the chamber elected seven different House speakers.
The United States has five primary inhabited territories—Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands—along with the District of Columbia, a federal district rather than a state. Residents of these territories are U.S. citizens, except for American Samoa, where they are U.S. nationals. However, as territories, they lack full voting representation in Congress.
Each territory and the District of Columbia elect a non-voting delegate or a resident commissioner to the House. Delegates can participate in debates, introduce legislation, and serve on committees, but they are barred from voting on the final passage of legislation or taking part in key decisions, such as the election of the Speaker.
Prior to Friday’s vote, President-elect Donald Trump gave Johnson his “complete and total endorsement” to be reelected Speaker.
“Mike has my Complete & Total Endorsement. MAGA!!!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
“We are the Party of COMMON SENSE, a primary reason that we WON, in a landslide, the magnificent and historic Presidential Election of 2024. ALL SEVEN SWING STATES, 312 ELECTORAL COLLEGE VOTES, AND THE POPULAR VOTE BY MILLIONS OF VOTERS (Despite large scale voter fraud taking place in numerous states, including California, where votes are ridiculously still being counted, or under review!), ALL WON WITH EASE, CALM, & PROFESSIONALISM,” Trump posted on social media in the weeks following his resounding victory over Vice President Kamala Harris.
“Republicans are being praised for having run a “legendary” campaign! Democrats are being excoriated for their effort, having wasted 2.5 Billion Dollars, much of it unaccounted for, with some being used to illegally buy endorsements ($11,000,000 to Beyoncé, who never even sang a song, $2,000,000 to Oprah for doing next to nothing, and even $500,000 to Reverend AL, a professional con man and instigator, who agreed to “interview” their “star spangled” candidates, Kamala and Joe). We ran a flawless campaign, having spent FAR LESS, with lots of money left over,” he added.