John, America was founded on a simple ideal: Everyone deserves the right to representation in Congress, and the residents of Washington, D.C., are no exception.

That's why I introduced legislation last week to make D.C. our 51st state – a change that is far overdue. I'm proud to help lead the charge on this crucial issue, but I know that this bill will face serious opposition from across the aisle. I'm counting on support from grassroots activists like you to get this legislation across the finish line. So please, will you add your name before 11:59 p.m. tonight to become a Citizen Co-Sponsor of my bill to make D.C. a state?

The residents of D.C. pay more per capita in federal income taxes than any other state. More than 14,000 of them serve in our military. They pay into Social Security, Medicare, and other federal programs. They’re just as much American citizens as their neighbors in Virginia and Maryland. But they have no say in how their tax dollars are spent, no vote on whether we go to war, and no influence over the legislative bodies that sit in their backyards.

The arguments against D.C. statehood simply don't add up. Both Wyoming and Vermont – which are each afforded two votes in the Senate and a vote in the House – have fewer residents than D.C. There's no reason that the 700,000 Americans who call our capital home should be denied fundamental representation.

This is a simple issue in my book. But unfortunately, nothing is simple in Congress. I already know that Mitch McConnell and his allies are going to work overtime to stop this bill. The only way to overcome this type of obstruction is by harnessing broad support from people all across this country.

That's why it's so important that we get another 158 activists from DC to add their names and become Citizen Co-Sponsors of my bill before midnight tonight. Please, John, you're a top Democrat, so I'm counting on you to make your voice heard. Will you add your name right now to demand that Congress pass this bill to make D.C. a state?

Countless Americans have fought for a future where our country truly lives up to the ideal of equal representation. By making D.C. a state and enfranchising its residents, we will be one step closer to that reality.

Thank you,

Tom