The End of Taxation Without Representation in DC

The Senate passed a bill today giving the District a House vote. Finally, more than half a million people might actually have representation in our federal government. All I can say is "it's about damn time!" The only down side was an amendment regarding gun control.

The Senate today passed a bill that for the first time would give the District a full voting member of the House of Representatives. But senators managed to attach an amendment that would scrap most of the District's local gun-control laws.

The 61-37 vote marked the first time in 31 years that the Senate had approved a D.C. voting-rights bill. The addition of the gun language could complicate the bill's passage into law, however, since it will be necessary to reconcile the Senate version of the legislation with the companion bill in the House. Voting-rights supporters hope the gun amendment can be removed in those negotiations.

The House is expected to approve the D.C. vote bill next week, and President Obama has indicated he will sign it into law. [...]

The D.C. vote bill would expand the House permanently by two seats. One would go to the strongly Democratic District, while the other would go to the next state in line to pick up a seat based on population count. For two years, that seat would be Republican-leaning Utah. It would then pass to whichever state qualified based on Census results. [...]

The gun amendment is similar to a sweeping measure approved by the House last year that was fiercely opposed by the D.C. government. It would limit the District's authority to restrict firearms, repeal the D.C. semiautomatic gun ban and remove gun-registration requirements. It drew bipartisan support. Among those supporting the amendment were Virginia's Democratic senators, Mark Warner and Jim Webb.

Opponents denounced it on the Senate floor.

"It's reckless, it's irresponsible, it will lead to more violence," charged Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.). She said that approval of the amendment would be "the first step to removing all common-sense gun regulation all over this land."

I agree!

Democracy for DC

The Senate will consider whether or not more than 500,000 U.S. citizens have voting representation in Congress. One would think this is a no-brainer, but for decades residents of the District of Columbia have had no voice in our government.

DC citizens have died protecting a "freedom" they do not enjoy.

In the WaPo, Marc Fisher spells out why the Senate should act as soon as possible to approve voting rights for District residents. A few of those reasons are:

• Washington is not a community of transients, nor can most of its residents vote "back home." Well more than half of District residents have lived in the city for more than 20 years. And the District's size is no factor here: Wyoming has far fewer residents, yet it has two senators and a representative in Congress.

• District residents must serve on federal juries to enforce our laws, yet, as Zherka says, "don't have a vote when those laws are made."

• D.C. residents pay taxes and contribute to Social Security and Medicaid, yet, unlike all other Americans, play no role in determining how those dollars are spent.

• Darryl Dent, 21, killed when an explosive device hit his vehicle in Iraq. Darrell Lewis, 31, killed in Afghanistan when insurgents attacked his unit with rocket-propelled grenades, mortars and small-arms fire. Kevin Shea, 38, killed in Iraq by rocket fire. These are U.S. service members who gave their lives in the current wars although they hailed from a place where voters have no say in their nation's choices on war and peace.

• It affirms the bedrock principles we're supposed to be exporting to Iraq. "How can we fight to bring democracy to Baghdad and not do the same for D.C.?" asks Rep. Tom Davis, the Fairfax Republican who is the author of the D.C. voting rights bill.

Call YOUR Senator and urge them to vote YES on voting rights for the District of Columbia. It's the right thing to do -- and it's well past time.