LWV Celebrates the Advancement for D.C. Statehood
WASHINGTON – The League of Women Voters CEO Virginia Kase issued the following statement following the U.S. House of Representatives passage of H.R. 51, the Washington DC Admission Act:
“Today the residents of the District of Columbia are one step closer to an equal voice in our government. The House passage of this bill is the first step to providing the more than 700,000 residents of Washington, D.C. the Congressional representation they deserve. The taxpayers of the district deserve the same rights as everyone living in all 50 states. Washingtonians deserve full voting representation in the U.S. Congress and the end of Congressional interference in the district’s government.
“D.C. statehood is not a partisan issue but a civil rights issue which cannot be separated from the fight for racial justice. As D.C. is a jurisdiction with a majority population of Black and Brown people, continued efforts to block full representation is discrimination against the people who live, work, and pay taxes in the District. For decades, Congress has refused to vote on statehood, based on racist accusations that D.C. cannot govern itself. It is long past time that we dispel with these racist and discriminatory excuses and deliver justice to the residents of our nation’s capital.
“We applaud the U.S. House for taking this historic vote to pass H.R. 51, and we urge the Senate to follow suit.”
CONTACT: Sarah Courtney | 202-263-1332 | [email protected]
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