TELL CONGRESS: STATEHOOD FOR D.C. NOW

Congress just voted to override the will of Washington D.C.’s elected Council, overturning local voting rights legislation and a revision of the city’s criminal code. It’s the latest slap in the face to D.C. residents, who have been denied fair representation for far too long.

The only solution is statehood for the people of Washington, D.C. Send a message to your member of Congress now >>

TAKE ACTION

Friend — in a major development in the House, far-right lawmakers are pushing efforts to block bills passed by Washington D.C.’s elected city council. The city had just passed an expansion of voting rights, as well as a revision of its criminal code.

The move is outrageous — but as long as D.C. continues to lack statehood, members of Congress will continue to make decisions for the people of D.C. to score political points in their home states.

D.C. residents — predominantly people of color — currently have NO full voting members of Congress and limited control over decisions that impact their democracy, their rights, their environment, and their local communities.

The Washington, D.C. Admission Act, which would grant the District of Columbia statehood — has already been introduced in both the House and the Senate. We need to raise the pressure to get this passed.

We need to make our voices heard. TAKE ACTION NOW: Demand that Congress votes YES on D.C. Statehood >>

We have a system that disenfranchises and limits the power of Black communities and other communities of color. The bedrock of our democracy is the right of the people to govern themselves, and the residents of D.C. deserve that right just like the residents of the 50 states.

The latest move to override the will of D.C.’s government is just the most recent injustice.

In January 2021, when an angry mob of insurrectionists and White supremacists mounted an attack on the U.S. Capitol, D.C.’s mayor lacked the authority every state’s governor has to control their own national guard, relying on permission from the Trump administration even though Donald Trump himself had incited the attack.

And Congress intentionally used D.C.'s lack of statehood to deny its access to full federal COVID funding, despite the city having one of the nation’s highest concentrations of positive cases and paying higher federal taxes per capita than residents of any state.

D.C. residents of color are also disproportionately impacted by toxic pollution — yet don't have the voting representation to make their voices heard when demanding environmental justice and climate action.

The vast majority of D.C. residents demand statehood, and right now we must amplify their voices. Despite living in a city with more residents than states like Vermont or Wyoming, D.C. residents get no say over how Congress confronts (or ignores) the issues that matter most in their day-to-day lives. Even as the Congress where D.C. residents get no vote has more control over D.C. than any state.

We need voices from LCV members to be loud and clear: Urge your senators and representatives to give residents of Washington, D.C. equal representation. YES on statehood for D.C. >>

We're fighting for a stronger, more equitable nation — we know we can count on you to join us. Thank you for standing up for what's right.

Onward,

Doug Lindner
Advocacy Director for Judiciary & Democracy
League of Conservation Voters