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• For years, many residents of Washington, DC have been protesting their lack of representation in the U.S. Congress.

  On February 26, 2009, the U.S. Senate voted to give Washington DC voting rights in the House of Representatives by passing the D.C. House Voting Rights Act. A vote on the bill in the U.S. House of Representatives was delayed on March 3, 2009, after a firearms provision was added to it.Fox News: Firearm Provision Blows Up D.C. Voting Rights Bill (March 3, 2009)

• Fast Facts

  1. District of Columbia has never had an actual representative in the Senate or the HouseTime: A Brief History of Washington, D.C., Voting Rights (February 26, 2009)
  2. Has a non-voting delegate in the House; currently Eleanor Holmes NortonTime: A Brief History of Washington, D.C., Voting Rights (February 26, 2009)
  3. DC population (2007): 588,292
  4. Many current DC license plates are inscribed with the phrase "Taxation Without Representation" to protest the lack of voting rightsDC Vote: Press Releases
  5. Bill that would give DC a congressman in the House was stalled by the Senate in 2007
  6. The U.S. Senate passed the D.C. House Voting Acts on February 26, 2009
  7. A vote on the bill in the House was delayed on March 3, 2009Fox News: Firearm Provision Blows Up D.C. Voting Rights Bill (March 3, 2009)
  8. The U.S. Constitution says the representatives should be chosen by people "of several states"Time: A Brief History of Washington, D.C., Voting Rights (February 26, 2009)
  9. DC is considered a state in some legal aspectsTime: A Brief History of Washington, D.C., Voting Rights (February 26, 2009)
  10. Some say it would be unconstitutional to give DC voting rightsCBS News: Is Giving D.C. A Seat In Congress Legal? (February 22, 2009)

• D.C. House Voting Acts

  The Senate passed the bill on February 26, 2009. A vote on the bill in the House was delayed on March 3, 2009 after a firearms provision was added to the bill.Fox News: Firearm Provision Blows Up D.C. Voting Rights Bill (March 3, 2009) The bill would give DC a voting right in the House, if passed into law. It would expand the current members of the house from 435 to 437, also giving Utah one more representative. The addition of a representative to Utah was a compromise. The distribution of seats between parties would most likely remain the same; since Utah is expected to be represented by a Republican and Utah by a Democrat.The New York Times: Senate Passes D.C. Voting Rights Bill, 61-37 (February 26, 2009)

• DCVote.org

  DC Vote is an organization that advocates voting rights for the District of Columbia.

  1. Founded: 1998
  2. Executive Director: Ilir Zherka
  3. Chairman of the Board: Bruce Spiva
  4. Phone number: (202) 462-6000
  5. Fax: (202) 462-7001
  6. Email: info@dcvote.org

• Related Mahalo Pages

  Washington, DC | U.S. House of Representatives | U.S. Senate | Eleanor Holmes Norton | Constitution of the United States of America | Utah | Fairness Doctrine

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