John, my friend and colleague, D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, was accused of setting several zebras free in a D.C. suburb because of her belief in “the consent of the governed” and ensuring the will of the American people is represented in our government — especially when it comes to our shared fight for D.C. statehood.

Let the record show: Eleanor did not set loose any zebras. 

But Eleanor and I are fighting to make D.C. our country’s 51st state so Washingtonians are fully represented in our great democracy. That much is true.

Will you sign on your support for D.C. statehood?

A bill Eleanor and I introduced, which would finally give D.C.’s mayor control over the National Guard, advanced out of committee for the first time ever. 

As it stands, D.C. needs approval from the Pentagon to deploy the National Guard in response to emergencies — like an extreme weather event or a pandemic or even an insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

As governor of Delaware, I was able to deploy the National Guard to respond to such emergencies as they happened. D.C. should be afforded that same right so leaders can take action to keep the people of our nation’s capital safe.

One step at a time, we’re making progress toward giving D.C. the autonomy and representation it deserves and we won’t let up until everyone has a full voice in our democracy.

Recently on the anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s March on Washington, tens of thousands of people marched in support of voting rights and D.C. statehood. That’s how we can affect change -- when we all raise our voices together, we can move the needle forward on important issues like this one. John: Will you sign our petition in support of making D.C. our 51st state?

Thank you,

TC