Jones's eyes fell right on Daniel, who shifted in his seat. Finally, Jones looked away, and Daniel felt himself exhaling, unaware he hadn’t been breathing.
“I have personally spoken to our representatives from these states, and they have all agreed that while this action is dramatic, it is vital to the preservation of the rest of the country,” Jones said.
A group of congressmen from the Southwest rose in unison.
“Congressman Jones is right. We understand the need for sacrifice in times of crisis. The survival of our nation is at stake, and it's a sacrifice we're willing to make.”
“And will you be joining your constituents in their exile, Congressmen?” Smith asked.
The room's attention shifted over to Smith, who adjusted the buttons on his suit as he stood up. Whispers broke out, and Jones silenced them with three smacks of his gavel.
“Congressman Smith, if you have anything you would like to say on the matter, the floor is yours,” Jones said.
“Ladies and gentlemen, Congressman Jones's bill suggests that there is no other course of action. He proposes that there is no other hope than that of sentencing millions of Americans to their deaths,” Smith said.
“And you would have those that chose to live where they are by their own free will choke the rest of our nation until there's nothing left,” Jones said, pointing his finger at Smith. “There is no other way.”
“There is. That's why I'm introducing a revised version of Bill H.R. 285016,” Smith said.
The Congress hall doors opened, and both Daniel and Smith's staffs came in, holding transcripts of the proposed bill. Copies were passed down each row. Conversations broke out, and the room went into a quiet uproar. Jones rapped the gavel on the podium.
“Order. I call order in this house. Congressman Smith, we went through this process three years ago. This bill was voted down by Congress due to the toxic nature of Dr. Carlson's formula. Those facts haven't changed,” Jones said.
“We haven't changed the facts you presented from the last vote, Congressman Jones, but we have introduced new evidence refuting the information that you provided,” Smith said.
“All of the information I provided was from certified experts in the fields of chemistry and biology. Now, if you're telling me that your staff recently obtained their doctorates in those chosen studies, then I will have to bite my tongue, but since they haven't, you have no grounds to argue.”
“The evidence we introduced is your involvement with the Strydent Chemical Company—a company which was a major benefactor in your reelection over the past two terms.”
Daniel watched the congressmen around him thumb through the pages. Jones kept smacking the gavel, losing his cool. They might be able to pull this off.
“Need I remind the congressmen of the public's distrust of Dr. Carlson's purification process. The expert analysis provided by a committee, which I was not a part of, denounced the process's effectiveness and raised concerns about the potential hazard of increases in cancer and other health ailments. In fact the patent office revoked Dr. Carlson’s designs after the evidence was presented,” Jones said.
The murmur through Congress started to sway back in Jones's favor. Daniel could hear the men and women around him second-guessing themselves.
“Jones is right. My district will fry me if I vote for this bill.”
“Is it really worth the risk?”
“I'm not just thinking of my child's heath, I'm thinking of the families with children that elected me to represent them.”
Congressman Edwards rose from his seat. He raised his fist to the air, grabbing the attention of the room. “I say we vote!”
The rest of the hall mumbled. Some were in agreement, others were not. Jones struck the gavel hard, again silencing the rising temper of the room.
“We shall vote on Congressman Smith's proposed bill then move on to mine,” Jones said.
The Speaker of the House started roll call, and the voting began. The electronic counters in the Capitol building had long since been removed. The funds to maintain much of the buildings computer systems had been diverted to keeping the water flowing. Daniel pulled a piece of paper out, tallying each vote into a yes and no column. After sixty votes, it was dead even. His name would be called soon. His mind went back to what Jones had mentioned before the session began.
He couldn't know.
“Congressman Gene Hart,” the speaker called out.
“I vote nay.”
I made sure it was buried. The plan was too well thought out. None of it could have been traced back to me.
“Congressman Keith Hemen,” the speaker said.
“I vote nay.”
Daniel rubbed his palms together so hard it felt like the skin would rub off. He adjusted his collar, trying to let some of the heat building under his suit escape into the air.
“Congressman Jay Holmon,” the speaker said.
“I vote nay.”
What if Smith's bill didn't pass? What if the science behind Dr. Carlson's process was incorrect? What if it really was dangerous? Forget what Jones would do to him; if Carlson was wrong, the people from his state would crucify him.
He felt an elbow nudge his side. He looked over to the congressman that shoved him, and the man pointed to the Speaker of the House.
“Congressmen Hunter, how do you vote?” the Speaker asked.
Daniel felt light headed. The lights in the room seemed too bright. The muscles under his suit spasmed, trembling at the indecision his mind was dealing with. He closed his eyes and listened, searching for that faint voice of courage.
“I vote,” Daniel said then paused. “Yea.”
He watched Jones's face morph into something more dangerous than hate. It had the calm, cool, collected precision of focus. Regardless of the outcome of this vote, he was a marked man.