Thank you,
TC
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Tom Carper
Subject: D.C. Statehood
This week, the House Oversight Committee will consider the bill I introduced in the Senate that would make Washington, D.C., our country’s 51st state and give full voting representation that’s long overdue to the more than 700,000 Americans who call D.C. home.
This bill is an important step toward correcting a longstanding injustice and making the vision of our great democracy a reality for all Americans.
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Last week, one of my Republican colleagues in the Senate tried to overturn a local law passed by the D.C. Council. He was able to do so precisely because Washingtonians do not have full voting representation in our democracy.
As it stands, Congress reviews all legislation passed by the D.C. Council before it can become law. D.C. can’t control its own budget, and D.C. officials can’t even deploy the National Guard in cases of local emergencies and public safety crises the way other state officials can.
This is an issue of basic fairness.
D.C. isn’t just home to our nation’s government. It’s home to Americans who go to work, own businesses, serve in our military, pay their taxes, and contribute to our great country. They deserve the same rights as other Americans across the country.
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Thank you,
TC