How come Congress has never given D.C. the right to vote?

[fedupfisherman]

How come Washington D.C. has gone so long without Congressional representation?

[Cleita]

1. Probably because they don't belong to the right

country club. I am using the phrase country club as a metaphor. Think about it.

[fedupfisherman]

2. Gotcha

Makes sense

[journalist3072]

3. As a D.C. resident, this is THE most important issue to me

Sometimes I don't think the rest of America understands the gravity of this issue.

We pay our federal taxes just like everyone else. Yet, we have no one truly elected to represent our interests in either houses of Congress. Delegate Norton can only vote "in committee."

The decisions that the U.S. Congress make, affect the residents of the District of Columbia just like they do every other American. Yet, I have no say in those decisions.

Whenever you are watching your television and see an ad by some group, advocating on a particular issue, and they tell you to contact your elected officials in Congress to let them know how you feel, please know that I and every other DC resident do not have that option.

We have no elected Representatives from DC to contact. We have no elected Senators from DC to contact to tell them how we would like them to vote on a particular issue.

If the President of the United States and the United States Congress do not want us to have representation in both houses of Congress, then we should not pay federal taxes. It's that simple.

[Hangingon]

4. Okay - lets cut off federal revenue

[fedupfisherman]

5. But you have had no representation

since DC became the capitol.

Should DC have 2 senators like California does?

[journalist3072]

7. I absolutely agree that D.C. should have 2 Senators like California does.

We deserve the same representation in the Senate (and in the House as well) that every other American citizen is entitled to, and currently gets.

[fedupfisherman]

9. I agree with you actually

You do deserve 2 senators

[FoxNewsSucks]

12. There are as many people living in DC as in

such "red" shitholes as South Dakota, North Dakota, or Wyoming. THEY have 2 senators each, so should DC.

[kansasblue]

20. 'red shitholes' ? Nice PR effort you're running to

win your DC vote.

[Odin2005]

27. Hey, I live in Fargo, so I call BS on your "shithole" assertion.

And I fart in your general direction

[Orangepeel]

22. How about: should DC have 2 senators like Wyoming does?

They've got more people.

(although they would be much better Senators)

[Cleita]

10. Great post and you are so right. n/t

[BlooInBloo]

6. I always assumed it's because it's full of black folks. Just an assumption, though.

[wildbilln864]

8. you are kidding, right? n/t

[BlooInBloo]

11. Erm... If it makes you feel better.

[Igel]

19. The Constitution stipulates the composition of Congress.

The first part, in fact. Amendment 14 changes things a bit. But both refer to states. Some see enough wriggle room in the parts refering to the House to infer that the House can set its own rules, at least to the extent needed to add a voting member that's not from a state. I haven't heard anybody make a similar argument for the Senate. Perhaps there's spme detail in the wording that I never noticed.

The parts of the Constitution that do this were in existence before DC was majority-black.

[BlooInBloo]

23. That might be a wonderful explanation of why it *started*.

[ISUGRADIA]

15. It's only with white flight to the suburbs in the 50s and 60s that

D.C. became a majority black city.

[BlooInBloo]

24. Ok.

[valerief]

13. Because the representation may actually represent the interests of the people. nt

[TheUniverse]

14. This is a huge issue.

The Republicans vote against it saying its "unconstitutional." So why not play their game. Lets make a constitutional amendment, and lets see what excuse they create to vote against it. Let the truth come out.

[Freddie Stubbs]

16. Perhaps because the Constitution states that the members of the House are choosen by

the people of the several states, and DC is not a state.

[TheUniverse]

18. Thats why I say we amend the constitution.

Its really simple, All we have to do is amend it to say the DC may also elect senators and a Representative.

[rug]

17. It's up to the states, not Congress.

It requires a constitutional amendment.

[illinoisprogressive]

21. DC has a large african american population and they are most affliated with democrats.

[Bitwit1234]

25. DC has always been a democratic stronghold

Ever since the 1960's when they were given non voting representatives they have had either a democratic congress with a republican president who vetoed the bill and they could not get enough votes to pass it. Then they had a democratic president with a republican congress who wouldn't even consider it. The republicans are so damn afraid that the democrats are going to get that seat they mess them selves when it comes up. But this time, congress added a seat for one of the red states, and they still couldn't get it brought to vote. The thing is, the republicans can't always be sure that Idaho, or Iowa I can't remember which now, would vote republican. BUT they are darn sure that DC will ALWAYS be democratic.

[mb7588a]

26. racism. nt.

[pampango]

28. See post 15. Was racism the reason that DC had no congressional

representation when it was a majority white city?