February 24, 2009

NJDC Calls for DC Voting Rights

Listed in: Other Domestic Policy, NJDC News, Press Releases

WASHINGTON, DC - Ira N. Forman, Executive Director of the National Jewish Democratic Council (NJDC), released the following statement:

Granting voting rights to residents of Washington, DC, is long overdue. The United States must not continue denying nearly 600,000 American citizens a congressional representative, solely because of their place of residence. It is offensive that residents of DC - who pay their taxes and serve in the armed forces - still lack equal representation.

The bill that the Senate is debating today is fair and bipartisan, and it should be passed as soon as possible. Unfortunately, there remain a number of obstructionist Republicans who will follow their leadership in supporting the perpetuation of this injustice. They should be ashamed that the U.S. remains the world’s only democracy that denies the citizens of its capital city the right to vote for representation in their national government.

“Taxation without representation” is one of the earliest principles that that America fought against over 200 years ago. If the Republican leadership cannot see beyond partisanship to correct this inequity, hopefully some independent minded Republican senators will break with their leadership to vote for DC voting rights.