As someone who grew up in the shadow of Washington DC, the idea that residents of the District don't have any kind of Congressional representation has always struck me as plumb crazy. How can almost a million Americans be forced to pay taxes, and still not get a voice in our legislative body? It's ridiculous, and it needs to be changed.
There is an organized group working to at least get the ball rolling, and secure a House seat--a voting one, not like the "shadow rep" they have now. They're called DC Vote, appropriately enough, they were here in Oregon in March (check out the several OR reports on their blog page) and they've got a compelling argument:
Bullet Points about DC Voting Representation in Congress
When creating your letters-to-the-editor, you may find some of the following bullet points useful. Our Web site is full of other pieces of information you can use in your letters too.
Democracy is a birthright for all Americans, including those living in America's capital: Washington, DC.
District residents have no vote in either the U.S. Senate or U.S. House of Representatives.
Law abiding people should not be taxed without representation. District residents pay the second highest federal income taxes per capita in the country (only residents of Connecticut pay higher per capita taxes.)
District residents have always served our nation when called to defend democracy. In fact, DC lost more people in the Vietnam War than 10 other states.
The District of Columbia has nearly 80,000 more people living in it (572,059) than the entire state of Wyoming (493,782) and is close in population to six other states: Alaska - 626,932; Delaware - 783,600; Montana - 902,195; North Dakota - 642,200; South Dakota - 754,844; and Vermont - 608,827.
Without a vote in Congress, District citizens are denied a voice in decisions that affect every aspect of their daily lives - including public health, safety, education, economic policies and home ownership.
The United States of America is the only democratic nation in the world to deny citizens living in the nation's capitol representation in the national legislature.
There is a bill pending, the House Voting Rights Act (S 1257), and it's already passed the House. In the Senate, you'll never guess one of the minority who is blocking--filibustering--its passage. Well, OK, you probably CAN guess.
{the reveal, and fresh statements of support from Oregon legislators and legislators-to-be, below}
For a final vote on the bill, 60 senators had to vote to end the filibuster. The vote was largely along party lines, with 57 senators voting to proceed to a final vote and 42 voting against it.
"The District of Columbia should find its congressional franchise through the state of Maryland, by statute, or through the Constitutional amendment process," Smith said in a written statement. "I would support either effort."
Ilir Zherka, executive director of D.C. Vote, which has been advocating for the bill, said his group had hoped Smith would vote in favor of it.
"He was a critical vote," Zherka said. "With his support, it would have been easier for us to get a few others. Unfortunately, he swung in the wrong direction."
Smith's response is ridiculous, of course--they don't LIVE in Maryland. And it's not like every other facet of life involving DC residents (like say, paying taxes?) doesn't include them despite their Constitutional neverlandness.
Oregon's Senior Senator, of course, is casting the right vote in full support of enfranchisement. Here's the statement the Wyden folks sent me when I asked them to reiterate that support, and in so doing show just how isolated Gordon Smith really is:
The residents of the District of Columbia deserve to have their voices heard by the federal government. They serve on juries, pay both federal and state taxes, and send their sons and daughters off to fight for our country. I see no reason why the District of Columbia's delegate to Congress should be prohibited from voting on issues -- including tax measures -- that affect the citizens who live there. It is a matter of fairness.
So what are the chances that a new Senator from Oregon will flip that vote for a filibuster? Pretty good. You may not believe this, but I was actually thinking the Merkley campaign might be worth contacting for a statement on his position regarding DC Vote. You may believe this even less, but they responded. From the Merkley campaign:
The right to vote is a fundamental principle of our democracy. For far too long, residents of the District of Columbia have been denied that right. It’s taxation without representation and it is wrong. Those who live in our nation’s capital work hard every day, pay taxes and serve proudly in our armed forces just like every other American. We cannot and should not continue to tolerate the disenfranchisement in Congress of the nearly 600,000 Americans who live in Washington D.C.
Nice! Can't argue with that. And if it's Steve Novick who wins the primary and beats Smith, he's on board as well, albeit with a shorter endorsement: "Fifty-one is a fine number. It's divisble by 17 and everything." That's actually more of a response on statehood, but you can't be a state without getting the vote as well, so...
For good measure, I also asked any of the remaining members of the Democratic delegation to Congress for their thoughts--since they all voted for the House bill that Smith is blocking. Earl Blumenauer responded:
I strongly support the DC House Voting Rights Act. It is long overdue to give the 600,000 residents of our nation’s capital, which is more than the state of Wyoming, the fundamental right of representation.
Maintaining a fair and responsive government is a duty that transcends politics and is as far as one could get from a partisan issue. I am disappointed that this administration denied citizens their basic voting rights and hope that the 111th Congress, with a new president in office, will finally give DC a vote. Residents of the District have waited long enough.
And not to be left out, there's support even at the local level--here's OR Rep Brad Witt, in a guest posting over at BlueOregon a few days ago:
Our fellow Americans living in Washington, DC, need our help. A vote in Congress is a fundamental right which should not be denied to any tax-paying American. As an Oregonian with a vote and a voice, I call upon Oregon’s members of the U.S. Senate to support the DC Voting Rights Act and vote on the right side of history.
As citizens of the states, we have our seat at the table of democracy through our vote in Congress; let’s help the rest of America get theirs.
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