The League expressed strong opposition to the House of Representatives about the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations bill, which includes 18 riders that interfere with the ability of DC to have Home Rule, and 14 other bills being marked up in the Oversight Committee that interfere with DC's ability to self-govern.
September 10, 2025
Re: Reject DC Interference
Dear Members of the House of Representatives:
On behalf of the League of Women Voters of the United States (the League), we write to express our strong opposition to the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations bill, which includes 18 riders that interfere with the ability of the District of Columbia (DC) to have Home Rule. Additionally, there are 14 other bills being marked up in the Oversight Committee that interfere with DC's ability to self-govern. These actions overturn existing laws enacted by DC’s elected officials to address concerns that hold significant importance for the residents who proudly call the District of Columbia home. These congressional actions would undermine and purposefully disregard the voices and rights of the District's citizens.
These pieces of legislation are the latest in a long line of attacks on democracy in the District of Columbia. DC residents pay federal taxes and comply with all the other duties of citizenship, yet they are deprived of voting representation in Congress and have limited control over their own local governance. While we recognize that Congress has the authority to reject or amend laws enacted by DC through the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, passing these bills would yet again interfere in the affairs of the DC, highlighting the relegation of its more than 700,000 residents to second-class citizenship without the same voting rights enjoyed by citizens of states.
We exhort Congress to uphold democracy and grant District residents the autonomy to manage their own affairs, free from external interference or meddling. It remains painfully clear that the right to vote is meaningless if the will of DC residents can be subverted and micromanaged by a Congress that gives them no say in the matter.
For questions, please feel free to reach out to me at [email protected] or Kristen Kern, our Federal Policy and Advocacy Manager, at [email protected].
Sincerely,
Jessica Jones Capparell
Director, Government Affairs