Fla. House Votes to Approve Bush Electors

Dec. 12 -- Florida’s Republican-controlled Legislature moved one step closer today to intervening in the presidential election dispute as the House of Representatives voted to name a slate of electors for George W. Bush.

Meeting in a special legislative session, the House voted 79-41 to pass a controversial measure that would appoint a slate of presidential electors pledged to cast ballots for Bush when the Electoral College votes next Monday.

During five hours of spirited debate, Republicans argued the Legislature has a constitutional responsibility to safeguard Florida’s 25 electoral votes, which they insisted are being placed in jeopardy by continued legal wrangling over the election.

“The 2000 election is spiraling out of control and we must stop it now,” said Rep. Paula Dockery. “It is time for us, the members of the Florida Legislature, to perform our solemn duty.”

But Democrats said it was Bush’s certified victory their rivals across the aisle were trying to protect — regardless of the will of the voters or the judgment of the courts.

“What we are about to do is unjust, it’s unnecessary, it’s illegal,” House Minority Leader Lois Frankel said minutes before the lopsided vote. “This is the ultimate partisan act because it’s a guaranteed win for only one candidate.”

Only two Democrats joined all 77 House Republicans in voting for the resolution. Earlier in the day, a House Democratic amendment calling on the Legislature to “take no action to interfere with the lawful ongoing election process” was defeated, also on a 79-41 vote.

Now the resolution will head to the state Senate, which is set to vote Wednesday. With the GOP holding a firm 25-15 majority in the Senate, even the most ardent opponents of the move concede there is little they can do to stop it.

GOP: ‘We Made Some History’

Deadline Approaching

At issue is today’s midnight ET deadline set by federal law for states to certify their presidential electors. If the deadline is not met, the electors can be challenged in Congress if at least one U.S. representative and one U.S. senator decide to do so.