-Justice Hugo Black
With the election approaching and no noteworthy races in my area, I thought it would be a good time to remind everyone of the most important uncontested races in the nation: those in Washington, DC.
Since 1800, the citizens of Washington, DC have not had voting representation in either house of Congress. Despite having a population larger than that of Wyoming, and paying more in individual federal income tax than the populations of 22 different states, our country apparently sees no need to lend these fellow citizens a voice in their government.
Residents of DC have no say in how their tax money is spent, how their local government is organized, or when and where they are sent to war. Perhaps as important, they themselves cannot join government. If they don’t like the direction the country is headed, feel there is corruption in Congress, or don’t like the tax system, there is no recourse. They can’t run for office to change things, nor can they band together as a community to support a candidate; there is no candidate.
I submit that there is no argument which justifies this disenfranchisement. Being able to have a say in who writes the laws one must obey is a cornerstone of our republic, a right through which, as Justice Black notes, all others are given meaning. Thankfully, there are many viable options on the table to remedy this injustice. Among these are statehood, amending the Constitution, Congressional legislation, or combined Congressional/Maryland legislation.
Among these alternatives, I find Congressional legislation to be the most efficient and pragmatic course of action. Amending the Constitution or granting DC statehood require long, drawn out processes and are, quite frankly, overkill. Doing either is like building a cannon to kill a mosquito. Combined Congressional/Maryland legislation would be effective and reasonable, but would unduly involve politics in the equation, and would potentially place an unfair burden on the people of Maryland. Having the US Congress pass legislation creating a new seat (or seats) in the house, as well as two in the senate, could be accomplished rapidly and enforced easily, without placing a burden on anyone.
Currently, there is similar legislation pending before the House of Representatives. Titled the “DC Fair and Equal House Voting Rights Act,” H.R. 5388 would establish two new seats in the House. One would be for DC, the other would go to Utah. Why Utah? Two reasons. First, Utah was the closest, as of the 2000 census, to gaining a seat in the House. Second, an at-large Utah seat would be virtually a guaranteed pickup for the GOP, offsetting a Democratic pickup in DC. The seat- and political-neutrality of the bill helps its chance of passage. After the 2010 census, the number of House seats would be 437 and would be apportioned normally according to the new Census, with DC being guaranteed at least one representative.
While I support this act as a stop-gap until full enfranchisement is politically viable, its chances of passing remain slim to none. It was passed out of conference and has 41 co-sponsors, but just like all its predacessors, it will never reach the floor for an up-or-down vote, thanks in large part to the GOP leadership.
So what is the point of all this? After you’ve done your civic duty and voted for your Senators and Representatives, remember the people who have no such say. It’s easy to forget something like this since elections only come around every two years, but work has to be done, and it’s when everyone forgets that it is most important.
For more information, or if you are interested in donating your time or money to the cause, please visit DC Vote. To get a list of your current representatives and write them, click here. Have a different opinion? I’d like to hear it; feel free to comment.
