REP. TANNER: ‘PUT CONGRESS BACK IN THE HANDS OF THE PEOPLE’

Fair Redistricting Bill Eases Political Polarization, Encourages Bipartisanship

-Tanner Bill Hailed by FairVote Chairman John B. Anderson-

WASHINGTON, DC – It is time to take politics and partisanship out of the Congressional redistricting process, Congressman John Tanner said today when he introduced the Fairness and Independence in Redistricting Act. The bill calls for an independent, bipartisan commission in each state to redraw Congressional district maps every 10 years and restricts redistricting efforts from taking place between census cycles.

Congressman Tanner, left, and FairVote Chairman John Anderson, right, talk with reporters about Congressman Tanner's legislation.

“Partisan politicians have hijacked the electoral system through redistricting,” Tanner said. “Voters have lost much of their say in who they hire to represent them in Washington. We need to reform the process to put the House of Representatives back in the hands of the people as it was designed to be.”

Redistricting is traditionally conducted every 10 years, following the decennial census, to ensure equal population in each Congressional district. Many have come to view the process as a partisan opportunity to strengthen some incumbencies and weaken the chances of their political opponents. Due in part to the redistricting system, 95% of incumbents retained their U.S. House seats in last year’s elections, and only seven seats out of 435 changed hands from one major party to another. 

“The political center has been disappearing in Washington,” said Tanner, a founding member of the Blue Dog Coalition, comprised of 35 moderate to conservative House Democrats. “Part of the reason is that so many Congressional districts have been designed to guarantee victory for one political party or another, paving the way for partisan extremists unwilling to work cooperatively with others toward the best interest of the country.

“The result is political polarization and tyranny of the majority, which is dangerous in any country or state where one party controls every branch of government.”

States already have the Constitutional duty to develop Congressional maps. Under Tanner’s legislation, each state would establish an independent redistricting commission of at least five members to draw that state’s Congressional district map exactly once every 10 years. Majority and minority party leaders in the state legislature would appoint an even number of commissioners, who would then elect an additional commissioner to serve as the panel’s chair. Commissioners could not be recently active in politics and would be ineligible to run for a U.S. House seat in that state for 10 years.

The redistricting commission would be required to consider the rights established by the Constitution and Voting Rights Act, as well as population and geography of each district but would not be allowed to consider political issues such as voting history, party affiliation or the potential impact on a sitting incumbent. The commission’s report must be approved or disapproved by the Governor and the state legislature without amendment. These provisions would serve as minimum standards, but states would have the option to adopt stricter guidelines.

FairVote - The Center for Voting and Democracy hailed the bill as a necessary step toward taking partisan calculations out of how elections are run. FairVote's chairman John B. Anderson, the former Congressman and presidential candidate, said, “It's just wrong to allow politicians to help their friends and hurt their enemies in what should be a public interest process. Seeking redistricting reforms in states can be valuable but too often is motivated by partisan calculations. We need national standards for elections that affect all of us.”

Congressman Tanner said, “We must return to a fair electoral system that gives a voice back to the people.”

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Contact: Randy Ford, 202.225.4714