In-D.C. Proposal
It’s time to give the Capital’s residents a vote.
By Laura Beaufort, University of Delaware
Thursday September 14, 2006
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had someone tell me, “If you want a vote in Congress, just move to Maryland.” Should I really be forced to choose between the land my family has called home for generations and the fundamental right to representative democracy?
For over two hundred years, the answer has been yes. I am one of the nearly 600,000 DC residents who love democracy, pay federal taxes, serve on juries, and fight in wars, yet have no voting representation in Congress.
It hasn’t always been like this. Before 1800, my family could vote with Maryland to elect representatives to Congress. In fact, a resident of what would become Washington, DC, served as a Representative from Maryland from 1793 to 1794.
Everything changed when Congress moved to DC in 1801, promptly passing the Organic Acts, which stripped DC residents of their right to representation and self-government. Despite the many solutions proposed by Congress and the tireless work of Washingtonians over the past two hundred years, residents of the District of Columbia are still denied both representation in Congress and control over their local laws.
DC residents came incredibly close to gaining full representation in both the House and the Senate. In 1978, Congress passed the DC Voting Rights Constitutional Amendment with overwhelming bipartisan support. However, in 1985 when only 16 of the 38 required states ratified it, the amendment failed to become part of the Constitution. States refused to grant its residents equal rights because, according to Senator Ted Kennedy, who supports voting rights for DC, it is “too black, too liberal, too urban, and too Democratic.”
Voiceless in Congress without a vote, Washington, DC faces a tyranny of the majority. DC residents pay the highest per capita federal taxes in the country, but ultimately have no control over how that money is spent . DC’s laws are constantly in danger of being overturned by Congress. For example, the House has been attempting to repeal DC’s gun safety laws for years. DC is forced to be a “guinea pig” for untested social programs such as school vouchers. DC residents have fought and died in every major US war, yet have never had a say in whether they should be there.
I’ve heard a lot of excuses for why DC shouldn’t be allowed full democracy. Some say that the founding fathers meant to take away our rights, but both Alexander Hamilton and James Madison, the two primary authors of the Federalist Papers, supported DC voting rights. Others say that many democracies do not allow their capitals to vote, but we are the only one. In fact, the US is in violation of a treaty which it ratified in 1992, the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights, which guarantees each citizen the right to “universal and equal suffrage.”
Others argue that DC is too small for representation, but our population is higher than Wyoming’s. I’ve heard that the city belongs to all Americans, but the federal government owns a higher percentage of Nevada. One can only imagine the national outrage if Congress questioned Wyoming or Nevada’s right to self-government.
We have the opportunity to partially right this wrong. The District of Columbia Voting Rights Act of 2006 (HR 5388) would give DC voting representation in the House of Representatives for the first time ever. The House Committee on Government Reform passed the bill 24-9 on May 18 th with the support of both parties. It needs only to be passed by the House Judiciary Committee to be open for a vote on the House floor. The Judiciary sub-committee on the Constitution held hearings on the bill on September 14th. Hopefully they will recommend a vote to the full Judiciary Committee. This is the most progress the DC voting rights movement has made since the constitutional amendment failed.
Many people are unaware that this inequality exists, but you can make a difference. The voters living outside of Washington, DC are the ones with the power to enact change. Tell your friends. Write a letter-to-the-editor. Call your member of Congress. If enough of us speak, they will listen. To help ensure equal rights for every American, no matter where they live, check out dcvote.org.
Laura Beaufort is a senior in the Honors Program at the University of Delaware. She was a summer 2006 Advocacy and Outreach Intern at DC Vote. DC Vote is an educational and advocacy organization whose mission is to secure full voting representation in Congress for the residents of the District of Columbia.
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Comments
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You wrote: “untested social programs such as school vouchers”
To find out how long school vouchers have been available nationwide in the Netherlands, and how well school choice is working for the Dutch, have a look here: http://www.mackinac.org/article.aspx?ID=6840
— Andrew Coulson - Sep 14, 04:58 PM - #Why would a state give a city an equal vote?
In my life I have moved for lesser reasons then the right to vote! Sounds like Maryland is calling your name.
— Bruce - Sep 15, 04:00 AM - #“Why would a state give a city an equal vote?”
So you’re for removing Wyoming’s Congressional representatives, then, I take it? It has a smaller population than DC, despite a Congressperson and two Senators. Or perhaps you’re against the concept of the Senate altogether since all states get the same number of votes regardless of size.
And how exactly, does moving to Maryland give anyone the abilty to vote for DC’s representation? The author doesn’t want to give DC voting rights just because she likes using a voting booth.
— August J. Pollak - Sep 15, 06:49 AM - #I have just become a renter in DC, but have not changed my voter registration from MD. I want what I believe in to be protected in Congress. Ms. Norton-Holmes can introduce legislation, but cannot vote on it. She can make floor statements, but not act on her words. If I want my interests to be protected in Congress, then I am forced to cast my vote for a representative that can do so.
Does anyone else find it odd that DC has three votes in the electoral college, but no representative or senators?
— Hilary Swab - Sep 15, 04:25 PM - #It’s as simple as this: No Taxation without Representation. Our founding fathers fought a revolution in order to secure Americans the right to be represented in government. Let’s start a revolution and get DC the vote.
— Laura Plotkin - Sep 16, 10:09 PM - #The author isn’t for taking away representatives in Nevada or Wyoming, she is just stating that it makes no sense for these areas to be represented while other areas can just be ignored because they are merely cities. If each of you lived in DC you would be outraged by the fact you couldn’t vote merely because of your choice of residence. We need to stand up and fight for our DC brothers and sisters, they deserve no less to be represented in our democracy as any other citizen.
— Rachel Kay - Sep 19, 10:06 AM - #Andrew-The Dutch have many progressive social programs that the US could emulate: 1) citizens of Amsterdam have full voting rights 2) abortions are legal and covered by heath insurance – and the abortion rate is much lower than ours 3) prostitution and soft drugs are legal. Bruce- Imagine the chaos that Maryland would suffer if all 500,000 plus residents of DC decided to take your advice and move there. Our Nation’s Capital would be a ghost town, too! Great idea. Laura- If DC doesn’t have the vote, as Kennedy implies, because of the current demographics, how does that explain lack of voting rights from 1800-1960 when DC was a majority white town? Also, historically, Republicans have done more for DC’s rights than Democrats. Go figure. Our Constitution had several bad ideas, like that 3/5 of a man part. Lack of voting rights for the nation’s capital is another that needs to be corrected. Great discussion.
— Kate - Sep 20, 08:15 PM - #I am from Wyoming, and I have joked with friends at home that, at least in the Presidential election, my vote now counts for something – because in Wyoming, all 3 votes always went to the Right. I wonder if today’s Congress would notice DC more if we voted the same way that my home state does.
— Kirse Kelly - Sep 20, 09:28 PM - #I just love the article, and am for full DC voting power and authority.
— Mr. Robert Brassell, Jr., N.P. - Sep 21, 04:34 PM - #No, it’s a city – not a state.
That status that existed prior to the 1800’s, where the citizens voted with Maryland should be restored.
That should be satisfactory.
— Robert Kastigar - Sep 22, 07:53 AM - #Capital is some thing you use to invest with. We live in the Nation’s Capitol.
— CA - Sep 25, 07:11 AM - #No. We don’t. A capitol is a building. It's almost always at the seat of government, which is usually called the capital. We live in the nation's capital; our legislators go to work at the capitol. Unless you were using the royal "we" and you were actually saying you live inside the capitol building, in which case accept my apologies.
— August J. Pollak - Sep 25, 08:00 AM - #Forget representation! As a long time district resident, I think we should just not get hit with the federal income tax and any federal laws (which congress already exempts themselves from anyway). We should also eliminate the federal governments veto power over district law. I’m happy to have them here as long as they stay away from me personally. Congress is worthless anyway and the last thing we need around here is another politician and her/his staff.
— Alex - Sep 29, 07:20 PM - #