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The residents of what is now the District of Columbia lost their full democratic rights to self-government and a government of, by and for the people over 200 years ago. Ever since then, they have been demanding that Congress restore the full rights of American citizenship to residents of our national capital. Below is an updated timeline of the District of Columbia's efforts to restore self-government.
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Vice President Biden endorses D.C. Statehood!
At a May 1, 2013 benefit for the D.C. Volunteer Lawyers Project at which his daughter-in-law Kathleen Biden, wife of his son Hunter Biden, is Vice President, Vice President Joe Biden spoke about violence against women and then said "By the way, there should be two senators from the state of D.C." See http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/biden-there-should-be-two-senators-state-dc_720472.html. Let's hope we really means it and will educate President Obama on the need for D.C. statehood as he did on LGBT rights.
Educate Congress and Get Co-Sponsors for the New Columbia Admission Act
D.C. Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton introduced a new statehood bill on January 15, 2013. The New Columbia Admission Act, H.R. 292, had 15 co-sponsors when it was introduced: Representatives Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Madeline Bordallo (D-Guam), Donna Christensen (D-Virgini Islands), William Lacy Clay (D-MO), Steve Cohen (D-TN), John Conyers (D-MI), Keith Ellison (D-MN), Eni Falemavaega (D-American Samoa), Sam Farr (D-CA), Michael Honda (D-CA), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Grace Napolitano (D-CA), Jared Polis (D-CO), Charles Rangel (D-NY), and Bobby Rush (D-IL). It now has 32 co-sponsors, including: Representatives Pedro Pierluisi (D-PR), Judy Chu (D-CA), Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (D-VA), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Gerald Connolly (D-VA), Raul M. Grijalva (D-AZ), Theodroe E. Deutch (D-FL), Andre Carson (D-IN), John Lewis (D-GA), Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY), Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL), James P. McGovern (D-MA), Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY), Louise McIntosh Slaughter (D-NY), Ruben Hinojosa (D-TX), Henry C. (Hank) Johnson, Jr. (D-GA) and Ed Pastor (D-AZ).
In her introductory statement, Congresswoman Norton said: "To be content with less than statehood is to concede the equality of citizenship that is the birthright of our residents as citizens of the United States. It is too late for the residents of the District of Columbia to make such a concession as we approach the 212th year in our fight for equal treatment in our country. This bill is the first I file in the 113th Congress, and it reaffirms our determination to obtain each and every right enjoyed by citizens of the United States by becoming the 51st State of the Union."
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On January 25, 2012, Senator Thomas Carper, Chair of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee that has jurisdiction over the District of Columbia, introduced S. 132, the New Columbia Admission Act, a companion bill to H.R. 292, introduced by D.C. Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton on January 15, 2013. S. 132 was originally co-sponsored by three senior Democratic senators, Senators Richard Durbin (D-IL), Patty Murray (D-WA) and Barbara Boxer (D-CA). It now has 7 co-sponsors, including Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Tom Harkin (D-IA), Barbara A. Mukulski (D-MD), and Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD) have agreed to co-sponsor the bill.
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Please write or call these Members of Congress and thank them for supporting the New Columbia Admission Act!
Listen to "Shadow Politics" with D.C. Sen. Michael Brown Sunday 7 p.m.
D.C. Senator Michael D. Brown with special Co-Host Kathleen Gomez has a weekly internet radio talk show on BBSRadio.com (station #2) on Sundays from 7 to 8 p.m. EDT. The call-in numbers are: 888-429-5471 (toll free US/Canada); 530-413-9537 (line 1); 530-763-1594 (line 2); 530-763-1594(line 3); 530-763-0341 (line 4); SKYPE: BBSRadio2.
D.C. Attorney General Challenges Legality of Proposed Referendum
The full Council voted on October 2, 2012 to hold a referendum to amend the District of Columbia's charter to authorize budget autonomy (i.e. remove Congress from having to approve how District tax funds are spent). This "strategy" was "masterminded" by D.C. Vote and the D.C. Appleseed Center, neither of which really supports statehood. What this referendum would do is ask for District voters' support for an interim colonial measure, the passage of which would take as much effort as getting statehood. Statehood would give us ALL our rights to self-government, including legislative and budget autonomy, permanently. This alternative method of amending the charter, the legality of which even our current Attorney General has questioned, would not prevent Congress from meddling in District budgetary affairs whenever it wanted, if Congress so decided. In addition, as it did in 1874, Congress could always decide to totally revoke our limited local "home rule" government. Only statehood is permanent. Why are we wasting our time and diluting our message on these legislative deadends?!
On January 4, 2013, D.C. Attorney General Irv Nathan sent a letter to the D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics saying that he had "serious reservations about the legality" of trying to amend the Congressional budgetary oversight provisions of D.C. Home Rule Charter by referendum. At a hearing before the D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics on January 7, 2013, he asked the Board to reject the referendum as a ballot question. On January 8, 2013, the Board disagreed and unanimously voted to include the referendum on the April 23, 2013 special election ballot. The voters approved the referendum (46,608 votes in favor of the charter amendment versus 7,396 against and 3, 033 not voting). Only 11% of the registered voters voted in the election (and only 9% of registered voters approved the charter amendment).
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The Mayor and the President have asked Congress to pass separate legislation granting the District budget autonomy regarding locally raised tax monies. Unlike the charter amendment, this would clearly be constitutional and within Congress's authority. However, Congress would still retain the power to revoke such authority at any time, unless the District (minus the Federal core) became a state. For more on this issue, enter "budget autonomy" in search box above.
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No where else, but in our nation's capital, do Americans lose their democratic rights merely because of their choice of residence. No where else do American citizens have all the responsibilities of citizenship, but few of the rights.
District citizens pay full federal taxes and serve in the military and die for our country but have no say in whether we go to war, what those taxes are, who serves on our federal courts or in the President's cabinet, or whether the United States should enter into various treaties and international obligations. We can't even spend our own local tax money freely. Congress is implicitly our "state legislature" and does whatever it wants here, even things it would not dare to impose on their constituents back in their home states.
To find out how you can help, please read more.
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The following D.C. businesses support D.C. statehood: Fleet Feet, Eddie Cafe, the Cleveland Park Valet, Grand Central, Nam-Viet Restaurant and Dino. Please give them your business and thank them for supporting full democracy for the people of the District of Columbia.
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Washington Post reporter David Nakamura covered D.C.'s 2009 Emancipation Day and D.C. rapper Rasi Caprice's rap "Free D.C." It should be the D.C. statehood anthem. To listen, read more.
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