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John, did you know that Washington, D.C. is the only national capital in the democratic world where citizens do not have equal voting and representation rights?
The people of Washington, D.C., pay the highest federal taxes per capita in the country, but they have no voting representation in the Senate or House of Representatives.
Join us and sign the petition today to call for D.C. statehood.
D.C. residents have all the standard responsibilities of U.S. citizenship — they are required to serve on juries, are eligible to serve in the U.S. military, required to register for Selective Service, and pay “state” and federal taxes.
The longstanding denial of statehood and representation for D.C. is undoubtedly rooted in racism. Many communities in and around D.C. are historically Black, and the area has a diverse population of immigrants. A majority of 670,000 people who live there are Black and Brown, and have no influence on the decisions our Congress makes every day that directly impact them.
Every decision made by local elected officials in D.C., from paving streets to funding schools to criminal justice reform, must be approved by Congress. Congress has frequently abused this power, repeatedly overriding the voice of D.C.’s residents and blocking the improvement of infrastructure or implementation of vital social programs.
We must grant statehood to Washington, D.C. immediately and end this blatant voter suppression. All Americans deserve the opportunity to elect politicians that represent them and will make their voices heard in Congress.
Sign the petition: Make D.C. the 51st state now and STOP denying Americans the right to representation.
Thank you,
Democratic Values
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