Today, Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D-HI) introduced a resolution commemorating the 50th anniversary of Hawaii’s statehood. The resolution also proclaims the state as President Obama’s birthplace, a point the Plum Line’s Greg Sargent noted may “put House GOPers who are flirting with birtherism in a jam.” This afternoon on the House floor, Abercrombie spoke of his measure and specifically noted that Obama had been born in Hawaii. “It’s also going to be the birthday in a week or so of President Obama, born in Kapiolani hospital just down the road from where I lived,” he said. Just as the presiding chair of the House, Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD), was about to declare the resolution passed by voice vote, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) stood and objected:
BACHMANN: Mr. Speaker? I object to the vote on the grounds that a quorum is not present and make a point of order that a quorum is not present. [...]
REP. ELIJAH CUMMINGS (D-MD): Further procedings on this motion will be postponed.
UPDATE: Salon reports that Bachmann is not a birther as the block would suggest:
On Monday afternoon, it seemed that one House Republican, Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, had indeed moved to support the Birthers, as liberal blog Think Progress reported that she blocked the bill.
This time, though, Bachmann was being criticized unfairly. She did indeed block a vote on the resolution, noting the absence of a quorum, but that move wasn't about Abercrombie's resolution specifically. She was just playing her part. The House had already decided to postpone the votes on all of the resolutions being considered under a suspension of the rules until Monday evening. Bachmann noted the absence of a quorum for several other non-controversial pieces of legislation so that those votes, too, could be postponed until the scheduled time.
In fact, as a spokeswoman for Bachmann told Salon -- and C-SPAN video of the congresswoman's remarks on the House floor confirmed -- Bachmann supports the resolution.
After the postponement, on Monday evening the resolution passed -- unanimously. Bachmann was one of the "yea" votes.
UPDATE: Think Progress on the Salon post:
Salon's Alex Koppelman says TP attacked Bachmann unfairly in our previous post because Bachmann was simply "playing her part" because "the House had already decided to postpone the votes on all of the resolutions being considered under a suspension of the rules until Monday evening." But the Hawaii resolution was only one of three resolutions that the GOP forced a vote on. Approximately 20 measures were considered today, most of which passed by voice vote.
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