Editorial
Dare to Give Washington a Vote
Published: September 18, 2007
It’s time to end the embarrassing servitude of Washington, D.C., which is denied true democratic representation. The city of 550,000 taxpaying Americans currently elects a member to the House of Representatives who is allowed to debate each and every issue, yet is denied the right to vote on the fate of any of them. The House has approved a bill that would give the D.C. shadow delegate voting power, and it now faces a make-or-break decision in the Senate.
The bill — the product of classic political horse trading — would enlarge the House by two seats: one for D.C., a likely Democratic representative, the other for Utah, whose population growth justifies a seat that probably would go to the Republicans. Opponents continue to raise constitutional issues about the district’s not being a full-fledged state; proponents offer counterarguments about Congress’s long history of dominating, even dictating, the city’s precise political freedoms. This will likely end up in the courts, but what could be closer to the ideals of America’s democracy than giving D.C. taxpayers their long-denied representation?
The Senate will vote today on whether to clear the measure for debate by invoking cloture to block a filibuster by opponents. A minimum of 60 votes is required, and it would be a grim echo of segregationist history if the Senate denied this opportunity to advance the district’s voting rights. No less relevant is the current history of the Iraq war waged in the name of promoting democracy overseas. President Bush has threatened a veto of the measure, so a 60-plus vote would be a potent signal that Congress is determined to promote American ideals in America’s own front yard.
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2 comments:
This article is about giving the voters of the District of Washington DC the right to elect representatives so they will have a voice and their district be represented in the House Of Representatives and the Senate. The writer's persuation is that the District has for a long time been without elected representation. And what a great way for this country to show their true American Democracy and give the District a voice. I feel all Americans should have a voice in both Houses of Congress. But my way of settling this difficult issue is to give the citizens of DC a choice to vote in either the Virginia or the Maryland elections. What a difference their vote would make in either state elections. If either or both states object, then by default the District should have their own elected representatives and never return to the District that has taxation but no representation.
I agree that DC definitely should have representation. I was unaware of the fact that they did not have any representative or congressmen and I think that is wrong. The laws and policies passed in the House and Senate affect them so why shouldn't they have a say? They should be able to vote and have a say just as much as anyone else in America.
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