Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) introduced the No Taxation Without Representation Act of 2003 on Mar. 13 in Congress. If passed, Washington, D.C. residents would receive representation in both chambers of Congress, a goal Georgetown students have been working on for more than a year.
“The 600,000 residents of the District of Columbia have lacked voting representation in Congress for over 200 years,” Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn.), who will introduce the bill in the Senate said. Lieberman, a Democratic presidential candidate, introduced the legislation two years ago, but, despite passing in committee, it was never brought up for a vote on the Senate floor.
The district’s congressional delegate can vote in committee but not on the House floor.
As the United States enters war with Iraq, Norton said that although district residents serve in the military voluntarily, they are denied the fundamental right of congressional voting representation
“Since I have been in Congress, I have participated in ceremonies sending D.C. residents to the Persian Gulf War, to Afghanistan and now to the Iraqi border,” she said.
Norton added that Washington, D.C. had more casualties in the Korean War than eight states and more casualties than 10 states in the Vietnam War.
“The people of this city fight and die and pay for our democracy, but they cannot participate fully in it,” Lieberman added.
Campaign Georgetown has consistently supported voting rights legislation, Co-chair Matt Ingham (COL ’04) said.
“As was made apparent in the most recent ANC elections, Campaign Georgetown’s efforts at representing students in local government rely on students registering to vote in the District,” Ingham said. “We know that giving D.C. meaningful Congressional representation will enable us to register and turn out a far greater number of students on election days, since the most commonly cited reason for not registering here is lack of this representation.”
ANC Commissioner Mike Glick (COL ’05) said that although D.C. voting rights might not be an issue directly handled by the ANC, he supports the campaign.
“Many of the district’s crucial initiatives are subject to review by congressional members whose interests lie in neighboring states and not with the citizens of D.C.,” he said.
Eric Lashner (COL ’05), who drafted last year’s GUSA resolution in support of the campaign, said that Georgetown was at a disadvantage because it was inadequately represented.
“For students, having representation in the House and Senate is critical,” he said. “Often times, senators [and] representatives add pork for their home states and lots of times it goes to local universities. Georgetown misses out on this possibility to have a connection with Senators who can help locate federal projects in Georgetown.”
Past attempts to provide congressional representation for district residents have included a proposal to include the district population with Maryland for purposes of apportioning congressional seats. Ingham is not optimistic the bill will pass because of partisan politics.
“Norton’s bill contains the most politically demanding solution to D.C.’s lack of voting rights,” Ingham said. “Unfortunately, even these more `appeasing’ solutions will be opposed by Republicans who are woe to see what will surely be new Democrats on Capitol Hill.”
“I think it’s disappointing that the issue of voting rights for the citizens of our nation’s capital – a fundamental right for all citizens – has become a petty partisan issue, one that will not get a fair hearing on Capitol Hill, simply because of the implications D.C. representation would have on the ratio of democrats and republicans in that institution,” Glick said.
Norton, however, remains optimistic that her bill will gain necessary bipartisan support.
“We can get Republican support for this bill,” Norton told the Associated Press on Mar. 13.
In years past, some leading Republicans have spoken out on behalf of district residents for congressional representation, including former Senate Majority Leader Robert Dole (R-Mo.) and President Richard Nixon (R-Calif.).
The introduction of the No Taxation Without Representation Act comes on the heels of the city council’s vote to move next year’s presidential primary to Jan. 13, ahead of every state, in what council members have said is a challenge to highlight the city’s struggle for home rule and congressional representation.
