Robin Kelly, newly elected Democrat Congresswoman in Jesse Jackson, Jr’s Illinois district, has already cast two votes.
But, a few hours after these votes, she could not answer when a radio host asked her for what she voted.
In an interview Friday on local Chicago radio station WGN, Kelly was asked:
Radio host: “And what were your first two votes?”Robin Kelly: “Oh, you had to ask me that hard question. One was on, um, rules, and, um, the other one was more — that’s a very good question — um, uh, regulatory.”Radio host: “Close enough for the first day in office, I guess.”
The radio interview was one of the first times since her Aurora gun gaffe that Kelly had addressed the public, aside from her Election Night acceptance speech where she called for war on the Tea Party.
For Kelly’s records, she voted “yes” on the motion to recommit with instructions HR 1120, the “Preventing Greater Uncertainty in Labor-Management Relations Act” at 12:00pm; she voted “no” on the bill passage at 12:10pm. The bill passed 219-209. Her radio interview was that same afternoon.
I’m not sure that Kelly’s description of these votes as about “rules” and “regulatory” is the most informative; the legislation relates to President Obama’s recess appointments to the National Labor Relations Board — a move that is, according to bill sponsor Phil Roe (R-TN), unprecedented. Roe writes:
This bill is simple. It would require the Board to cease all activity until the legal issues surrounding the legitimacy of the so-called recess appointments are resolved. The legislation would also require a Senate-confirmed quorum (3 members) to review all the decisions the Board made while the appointments were in question.
Give Kelly a tweet and remind her she voted to allow Obama’s unprecedented recess appointments. Machine rule, day 1.
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