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December 5, 2006

To: All Wisconsin members of the United States House of Representatives٭
Re: Support HR5388, the DC Voting Rights Act

Our democracy is more than 200 years old, yet we still have citizens living in our nation’s capital who do not have voting representation in Congress.  Citizens of the District of Columbia pay federal taxes, fight and die for the U.S. during wartime, and are governed by the laws that Congress passes.  And yet they have only a non-voting delegate in the House of Representatives.

The DC Voting Rights Act, H.R. 5388, sponsored by Representative Tom Davis (R-VA) and Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), would right this wrong.  The legislation provides voting representation in the House for District of Columbia citizens by increasing the size of the House by two seats – one for DC and the other for the state of Utah, which is entitled to the next seat by size of population.  On Monday, the Utah state legislature passed a redistricting map that paves the way for the immediate passage of the DC Voting Rights Act.

Concerns that the redistricting process in Utah might jeopardize the political neutrality of the bill have been addressed.  Utah has approved a map that guarantees the DC Voting Rights Act will not favor either party.

Now it is up to the U.S. Congress to vote to give Americans living in the nation’s capital the voting representation that is their right.  The bill must pass the House quickly so that the Senate can act.  DC citizens have been denied their right to a vote in the body that makes their laws, taxes them and can call them to war for far too long.

We urge you to pass the bipartisan H.R. 5388, the Davis-Norton bill, to provide representation in the U.S. House of Representatives to the citizens of the District of Columbia. 

Sincerely,

Andrea Kaminski
Executive Director

٭ Except Mark Green. His office would not give a fax number, citing his lame duck status at the time.