Friend –

This Wednesday, a committee of the U.S. House of Representatives voted to advance legislation to turn D.C. into the 51st state – also known as H.R. 51, the Washington, D.C. Admission Act.

That means it's going to the House floor for a vote next week – and we expect it will move in the Senate shortly, too. That's why we must do all we can to ensure it succeeds during this pivotal window of time. Our leaders must hear from us.

Because the fact is, the ongoing denial of full voting rights to over 700,000 residents of D.C., the majority of whom are Black and Brown, is an egregious example of voter suppression and racial injustice. Urging Congress to support H.R. 51 is one immediate way you can help change this – and we hope you'll join us and the ACLU of D.C. in taking that action by sending a message to them today.

ACLU Supporter, Washington, D.C. is the only national capital in the democratic world whose citizens do not have equal voting and representation rights. D.C. residents pay federal and local taxes just like everyone else – yet are being denied full voting rights.

And this denial of equal representation is rooted in racism. Congress took away D.C.'s local autonomy just after the Civil War, when many Black people were moving to D.C. and exercising political rights – and this continues to have harmful impacts to this day.

Over the past year alone, residents did not have full representation when it came to key life-or-death decisions – including around the COVID-19 pandemic, protests in D.C. after the killing of George Floyd, and the insurrection attempt at the U.S. Capitol building.

The time is now to correct this historic wrong, ACLU Supporter. And knowing it's D.C. Emancipation Day – commemorating when the D.C. Compensated Emancipation Act of 1862 ended slavery in the District – taking action to secure equal representation for all residents is more than apt.

By granting D.C. statehood through an act of Congress, H.R. 51 is a constitutionally sound way to do that – allowing District residents to finally fully participate and be represented in our national government.

It's up to all of us – especially those who have congressional representation – to champion this fight. So please, send a message to Congress today and tell them to support H.R. 51.

Thanks for taking action,

Kristen Lee
Pronouns: She, her, hers
Policy Analyst, ACLU

P.S. We have momentum and support in this fight: Nationwide, a recent survey from DATA for Progress shows a majority of Americans support D.C. statehood. Together, we can keep pushing Congress on this and ensure equal rights for all Americans: Send your message today.