Democracy For D.C.

Ilir Zherka February 13, 2007

Ilir Zherka is executive director of DC Vote , an educational and advocacy organization dedicated to securing full voting representation in Congress for the residents of the District of Columbia. When do Democratic strategist Donna Brazile and former Republican Congressman Jack Kemp rally around the same issue? When it’s a civil rights issue that would give voting representation to the nearly 600,000 taxpaying American citizens living in the District of Columbia who are denied democracy. Bipartisan momentum that could lead to the swift passage of the D.C. Voting Rights Act (H.R. 328) is growing on Capitol Hill and around the country. As Washington insiders and activists across the country are whispering about this hot issue, the DC Vote organization is not missing this opportunity to make a strong push. DC Vote is capitalizing on this energy by holding a Congress Day on Thursday, February 15 in the Cannon Caucus Room. Hundreds of supporters will turn out to urge Congress to take action on the D.C. Voting Rights Act—a bill that would give residents of Washington, D.C., their first-ever vote in Congress. After years of educating Americans and members of Congress on D.C.’s denial of voting representation, we have nationwide interest and members of Congress who are ready to act. Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., has said, “We who live in the Washington metropolitan area believe that country ought to take it as a moral cause to ensure the fact that every citizen of the District of Columbia has a vote in the Congress of the United States.” Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has also publicly expressed her support for D.C. voting rights. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-D.C., and Congressman Tom Davis, R-Va., the co-sponsors of the bill, are working hard behind the scenes, and the District of Columbia's mayor and city council are joining DC Vote to bring people out in droves for Congress Day on the 15th. All the key players seem to be on the same page, a consensus that is reflected in many newspapers and blogs. A February 7 Washington Post editorial states, “It's time for the Democrats who control Congress to act on legislation to end the disenfranchisement of citizens living in the nation's capital.” The online Editor’s Cut for The Nation went on record last week: It seemed like a done deal with Democrats who have long championed D.C. voting rights now in the Majority…But this isn't about partisanship, the presidency, or protecting seats. It's about doing the right thing to promote democracy. The writer also gives a push to respond to DC Vote’s action alert. The Democratic National Committee, led by Donna Brazile, recently gave unanimous support to the District of Columbia's effort for a full seat in the House of Representatives by passing a resolution endorsing the D.C. Voting Rights Act. Republicans are on board as well. Former Congressman Jack Kemp continues to push for a congressional vote for D.C. residents, including for his many grandchildren who live in the District of Columbia. He has said, “Voting rights groups such as DC Vote, Leadership Conference on Civil Rights and others are pounding the pavement to educate Congress that we can give democracy to citizens of our nation’s capital. I support their efforts and lend my voice to the cause.” Heaps of media, advocacy efforts from both sides of the aisle, unwavering support from local government, and a DC Vote Coalition that includes LCCR, Common Cause, League of Women Voters, NAACP and more than 60 other groups, add up to a whole lot of momentum. This force will be leveraged on Congress Day, when DC Vote plans to reach out to every member of Congress on the topic of D.C. voting rights. We ask our supporters to brush up on the specifics of the bill, so they can pass the buzz along. The bill is vote-neutral and bipartisan. The D.C. Voting Rights Act pairs a first-ever Washington, D.C. vote with an additional seat for Utah. Why Utah? It was the next state in line to receive an additional representative following the 2000 U.S. Census and missed it by less than 100 people. While the District of Columbia is traditionally Democratic, Utah leans heavily Republican, which certainly helps in lining up Donna Brazile and Jack Kemp on the same team. We’ve laid the groundwork for Democrats and Republicans to come together on this important legislation. We are sending in our supporters for Congress Day on February 15 to finish the work. Join us and help us achieve a vote in Congress for Washingtonians for the first time ever.