LWVUS Joins Letter to Congress Supporting DC Autonomy

LWVUS joined 50 other organizations in imploring Congress to respect DC's autonomy. The House and Senate Appropriations Committees have proposed legislation that would interfere with the DC Council’s local control and impose the will of Congress onto DC’s nearly 700,000 residents. DC's elected officials enact laws to address the concerns of DC's residents, thus congressional action to overturn the hard work of our elected officials disregards the voices of our citizens. 

March 15, 2024 

Senator Patty Murray, Chair 
Senate Committee on Appropriations
The Capitol, Room S-128  
Washington, D.C. 20510  

Senator Susan Collins, Vice Chair 
Senate Committee on Appropriations  
The Capitol, Room S-128  
Washington, D.C. 20510  

Rep. Kay Granger, Chair  
House Committee on Appropriations  
The Capitol, Room H-307  
Washington, D.C. 20515 

Rep. Rosa DeLauro, Ranking Member 
House Committee on Appropriations  
The Capitol, Room H-307  
Washington, D.C. 20515 

Dear Members of Congress: 

We, the undersigned organizations, write to urge the Appropriations Committees to remove all language from the District of Columbia FY 2024 Appropriations legislation usurping the D.C. Council’s local control and imposing the will of the Congress onto D.C.’s nearly 700,000 residents. Legislative budget “riders” go against the intent of the Home Rule Act and our country’s founding principle of self-government. 

The 118th Congress has witnessed a concerning surge in Congressional interference compared to recent history. We implore Congress to reject these undemocratic elements and, instead, empower the people of D.C. to govern themselves. Over the past 12 months alone, Congress has asserted control over various aspects of local governance, including:

• D.C.'s autonomy to cover reproductive and sexual health care
• The District's Death with Dignity Act
• The ability to regulate legalized cannabis sales
• Qualifications for voting in D.C. local elections
• Methodology for conducting local D.C. elections
• The District’s emissions standards
• The District's capacity to issue traffic tickets for illegal right turns on red lights
• Use of cameras for traffic safety
• Renaming a local street

These laws were enacted by D.C.'s elected officials to address concerns that hold significant importance for the nearly 700,000 residents who proudly call Washington, D.C. home. Congressional elements would not only overturn the hard work of our elected officials but also disregard the voices of our citizens. 

Americans living in D.C. have no congressional representation to cast votes against this ongoing, relentless attack on local democracy. Until such a time that the residents of the District achieve full equality through Statehood, we implore Congress to grant District residents the autonomy to manage their own affairs, free from external interference or meddling.

The undersigned organizations, collectively representing millions of Americans, urge the Committees to pass the FY 2024 District of Columbia Appropriations legislation without anti-democratic riders that undermine D.C. residents’ right to govern themselves. 

See attachment for full list of signatories