“I have a voice!” Stacey Plaskett makes a parliamentary inquiry as to why delegates from U.S. territories and the District of Columbia are not allowed to vote for Speaker of the House.

U.S. Virgin Islands Del. Stacey Plaskett, a Democrat, got a standing ovation after questioning why she and other delegates from the U.S. territories weren’t called to vote for the speaker of the House of Representatives.

Plaskett: I note that the names of the representatives from the America Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and the District of Columbia were not called, representing collectively 4 million Americans. Mr. Speaker, collectively the largest per capita of veterans in this country. I ask why they were not called. This body and this nation has a territories and a colonies problem. What was supposed to be temporary has now, effectively, become permanent.

“We must do something about this problem, so that these 4 million Americans,” she said as her mic was cut off. Her mic briefly came back on just as she proclaimed, “But I have a voice!” Smith said Plaskett was no longer recognized and her microphone was cut off. Democrat congressmembers again gave Plaskett a standing ovation for her remarks.

The microphone came on for a short while and she could be heard saying “I have a voice” before being cut off again. Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the District of Columbia have non-voting members in the House of Representatives

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“I have a voice!” Dems gave US Virgin Islands Del. Democrat Stacey Plaskett standing ovation