Guam, Northern Marianas Islands and American Samoa Get Votes in ABA’s House of Delegates

Resolution 11-6 (or 11-E?)

The territories of the US – Guam, Marianas Islands and American Samoa – today were awarded voting rights in the American Bar Association’s 577-member policy-making body, its House of Delegates.

Tommy Wells, a former president of the ABA, spoke in favor of the resolution. “these territories are the only American citizens without representation in this House,” he said.

The dissenter reminded delegates that a similar consideration has been raised in a session of the House of Delegates in 1993. He also remarked on the increased expense at a time when the ABA “cannot afford jugs of water for the tables at this meeting.”

The resolution called for two new seats. One member proposed an amendment that would have excluded American Samoa, but another member rose in opposition to the amendment, saying, “we don’t want to go halfway.”

The resolution to add all three territories to the voting seats in the House was approved by a voice vote, and its passage was greeted with enthusiastic cheers from the delegates.