Today could be a historic day in the history of our nation’s capital as the US House of Representatives prepares to vote on H.R. 1433, a bill to give the citizens of the District of Columbia the right to be fully represented in the House of Representatives. For the over 600,000 residents of the District of Columbia, “taxation without representation” isn’t just in the history books, it’s alive and well. District citizens are denied voting representation in the United States Congress, but are still under the same obligations to pay Federal taxes as any citizen of the other 50 states.
The House of Representatives is currently considering a bill that would give the residents of the District of Columbia voting representation in the House, something they’ve never had. The legislation has bi-partisan support, but members of Congress need to hear from real people who support this bill. That’s where you come in. Please take a minute and help end the disenfranchisement of over a half-million of your fellow American citizens by visiting http://www.freeandequaldc.com/ and signing the petition, or by calling your Representative and/or Senator’s DC Office. (To find out who your Representative is, and their contact information, please visit http://www.house.gov/ and enter your zip code in the upper left hand corner.)
The citizens of the District of Columbia have been denied a vote in Congress for over 200 years. This is the best chance that DC residents have ever had of gaining the right that every other American enjoys. Please send a message to Congress that 600,000 American citizens should have a vote on issues like the war in Iraq, healthcare, social security, education and any other issue that faces Congress. Please tell your Representative that you support DC voting rights today.
Your support is particularly needed today, one day after President Bush threatened to veto the DC Voting rights bill. Bush has questioned the constitutionality of allowing 600,000 Americans to have a vote in Congress. If I remember my Civics 101 class correctly, it is the responsibility of the Supreme Court to determine if a law is constitutional, not the President. But the Court can not rule on a law that has not been passed. Let’s give the Supreme Court a chance to fulfill its constitutional obligation to interpret the laws by passing this bill on Friday.
Thank you for your help and support.
