This past March, Senator Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn.) and Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) introduced the No Taxation Without Representation Act 2001 in the Senate and the House of Representatives. The bill is designed to gain voting representation for the District of Columbia. If passed, the “No Taxation” Act would excuse the city’s 570,000 residents from paying federal income taxes until they are given representation.
We commend Lieberman and Holmes for sponsoring this much-needed legislation. What is really upsetting, however, is that such a bill shouldn’t be needed to bring about the same political rights for District residents that all other Americans enjoy. Like every other American, each D.C. resident pays federal taxes and is subject to federal laws. But unlike every other American, each D.C. resident is subject to a legislature that doesn’t effectively represent his and her interests. From a basic democratic theory perspective, congressional representation for the District should be a no-brainer.
So why isn’t it? The reasons against congressional representation are pretty weak. The Supreme Court ruled in 2000 that, because the District isn’t a state, its residents aren’t constitutionally able to elect senators and representatives. But the Constitution also says that Congress has “exclusive legislation” over the District, which seems to imply that Congress can decide how the District governs itself. The fact that Congress won’t pass an amendment giving a half-million Americans the right to choose their own legislators is both saddening and unfortunate.
Even more saddening is one of the arguments against giving the District congressional voting rights. Some Republicans worry that, given the District’s overwhelming black majority, the city would consistently add to Democrat totals in Congress. Basically, this argument says that people who might disagree with you shouldn’t be allowed to vote. Using this equally compelling logic, Democrats could argue that certain conservative states, such as Wyoming and Oklahoma, should lose their voting rights because they consistently put Republicans in Congress. Political tactics shouldn’t override people’s democratic rights.
We should be concerned how the District manages its own affairs, particularly when it comes to how local political organizations, such as the Advisory Neighborhood Council (ANC), decide on how students live in the community. Representatives from D.C. who could vote in Congress would be more responsive to its citizens and more responsive to Georgetown students. For this reason, we should support congressional representation.
