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Democrats avoid a floor fight by supporting unity commission
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 Date: November 8, 2016 |
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July 25, 2016
By Emily Aubert
Philadelphia— Democrats avoided a floor fight over the superdelegate system on Monday evening when supporters of Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders joined together to support the creation of a "unity commission"—a committee whose charter includes a call to reduce the influence of superdelegates and reform the Democratic nominating process.
During the Democratic National Convention's first press briefing on Monday morning, Hillary for America campaign manager Robby Mook announced that no minority reports had been filed following the formation of the party platform and rules. Mook said, “Our party is coming together here to unify to elect Hillary Clinton and defeat Donald Trump, and that's what you're going to see today.”
What was seen during the opening session of the convention was a party still finding its way to “coming together.” There had been some speculation that a floor fight could develop over the superdelegate system, threatening to air intraparty grievances with party rules on national television. “We have some serious concerns, and I expect some of those concerns may wind up on the floor of the convention,” said Sanders two weeks ago.
When the Rules Committee met on Saturday, Rhode Island State Rep. Aaron Regunberg proposed an amendment to eliminate superdelegates. It was defeated by a vote of 108 to 58. Other proposals to reduce the power of superdelegates were also blocked, with supporters of the superdelegates arguing that their presence guarantees that a diverse range of voices are heard by the party.
The committee ultimately agreed to establish a “unity commission” tasked with evaluating the Democratic nominating process, calling for two-thirds of superdelegates to be bound to the results of state primaries and caucuses, establishing same-day voter registration, and increasing access to caucuses. With near-universal support from both Clinton and Sanders supporters on the Rules Committee, the commission was also designed to ensure that there would be no prolonged conflict on the floor over party rules.
It did not prevent Sanders supporters from booing the Rules Committee co-chairs—former U.S. Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) and former Texas Sen. Leticia Van de Putte (D)—on Monday afternoon, nor did it prevent them from interrupting other speakers with chants of "Bernie! Bernie!" After several disruptions, the rules report was approved by voice vote with middling support.
As hoped for by proponents of party unity, the tone in the convention hall shifted when delegates were introduced to the "unity commission" resolution by former Denver Mayor and Clinton supporter Wellington Webb (D). Connecting the commission’s development to efforts to unify the party, Webb said, “It’s not required that we always agree, but it is vital that we always move forward together.” He added, “Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders are both our champions. They both deserve our cheers.”
Diane Russell (D), a state representative from Maine and a Sanders supporter, also praised the resolution, giving it her “strong, unequivocal support.” She highlighted the efforts of Sanders supporters to achieve "structural reform" in the party, saying, “We did not win this by selling out. We won this by standing up. We won this by standing together.”
In a voice vote conducted by U.S. Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio), the resolution was approved with resounding support, providing the Democratic National Convention with one potential point of contrast to the Republican National Convention, where chaos erupted on the floor and the Colorado delegation walked out after a minority report to force a roll call on the rules package was dismissed.
The comparatively smooth adoption of the "unity commission" resolution also showed that the delicate agreement between Clinton and Sanders supporters on process had not been shattered by leaked emails from the Democratic National Committee, which appeared to confirm the Sanders campaign's allegations that some committee members inappropriately favored Clinton’s candidacy throughout the Democratic primary.
See also
- DNC Rules Committee, 2016
- The Democratic Party Platform and DNC Platform Committees, 2016
- Democratic National Committee
- Democratic National Convention, 2016
