THERE are three groups of Americans who do not have voting representatives in Congress: felons, children, and the 500,000 residents that live in the District of Columbia. However, only the residents of the District pay federal taxes, live under federal law, perform military service, and are actually governed by Congress themselves.
The District has been denied the right to vote in Congress for so many years under the premise that the Constitution specifically states that the district which holds the capital of the United States will be ruled by Congress. Article One, Section Eight of the Constitution goes as far as to claim that Congress has the right "to exercise exclusive legislation in all cases whatsoever" in the District. District residents are of course allowed one non-voting delegate in the House, but they are denied all representation in the Senate.
Looking solely at that one section of the Constitution, it seems that the citizens of the District have no right to claim representation in Congress. However, a strict interpretation lacks historical insight. The forefathers could have never pictured what the District is today. They envisioned a city where federal employees would work and then quickly leave once a term was over. The District in the late 18th century was a swamp. They couldn't imagine anyone voluntarily living in the District, but today the city is full of citizens who have no ties to the members in office. These citizens are still denied the right to vote because of an archaic interpretation of the Constitution and the misconception that Washington is an ephemeral town without permanent citizens.
Two amendments to the constitution further back up the District's right to representation in Congress. The First Amendment guarantees free speech. Voting is the epitome of free speech, yet the courts refuse to give theDistrict voting rights. In a similar sense, the 14th Amendment guarantees equal protection under federal law. However, under modern interpretation, Congress can't pass a law that prohibits African-Americans from voting. however, it is perfectly legal for them to deny the District (which is predominantly black) its proper right to representation.This is an incredibly unjust loophole that Americans must eliminate now.
Not allowing the District representation is complete and total proof that most politicians in Washington are concerned much more with their own re-elections then with the principles of democracy. Members of Congress fear that giving the District two representatives would take away representatives from their home state. Republicans fear that enfranchising so many African-Americans would cut their narrow lead in Congress. Bill Clinton was the most powerful person inside the beltway for eight years, and although he claimed he supported enfranchising the District, he did little more than drive around showing his "No Taxation Without Representation" license plates.
But even more offensive, recently, George W. Bush recently removed the "No Taxation Without Representation" license plates from the presidential limousine because he is against giving the residents of the District their fair say. Apparently, the election of 2000 taught Bush that every vote counts and that it is not enough to stifle the votes of those in Florida. Now, it seems he must make sure that an additional 500,000 citizens are also denied the right to vote. He is not relying on a strict interpretation of the Constitution; he is trying to save his party's own hide by not encouraging the heavily Democratic District the right to Congressional representation.
To give the District its representation, Congress should treat it like a state with regard to voting, but still should not grant it full statehood. When it comes to taxes, grants, military service and other functions, the government already treats the District like a state. Adding voting rights is a natural extension. Federal employees would still cast absentee ballots for their home states so they would not tip the election one way or the other in the District.
In 1978, not too long ago, two thirds of Congress voted for giving representation to the District but the states failed to ratify it. It's finally time to forget politics and act on justice -- give the District the right to vote.
(Patrick Harvey is a Cavalier Daily associate editor..He can be reached at pharvey@cavalierdaily.com)
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