Did Lieberman propose a bill that seems to meet Democratic principles but really helps whitewash Republican crimes against democracy? Does it involve a relationship with Eleanor Holmes Norton? Read on to find out!
The DC Fair and Equal House Voting Rights Act of 2006 is acceptable to American standards of democracy.
The people of Washington D.C. have long been denied their right to vote. They have no voting representation in Congress, and their electoral votes are equal to the number of votes of the least populous state, which is three (votes, not people).
Given that this is an affront to democracy, why hasn't the Democratic Party been a vocal proponent of DC statehood? It seems like a no-brainer to me - after all, DC's votes would pretty much always be safely in the blue.
Two separate issues at play here: DC's current status is unconstitutional, and fighting for it is in the Democratics' best interests. Fighting for it is also in the Republican interests, I'd think, since it's the best way to get the otherwise anti-Republican population to think twice about their political loyalties, and it could become safely red for a generation... But let's not give them any ideas.
It is inherently unAmerican to oppose full voting rights for the citizens of the District of Columbia. The very idea of a community being denied representation is repugnant to democracy. This includes the right to vote for their own local government -- not because Congress deigns to give them this power for the time being (the current situation), but because they deserve the same control over their community as the people of Maryland or Virginia. This also includes the right to have a vote commensurate with their population in the electoral college and the House of Representatives, and full representation in the Senate.
What are the arguments against DC statehood? The only one I've ever heard is that DC is too small. It is about 68 square km and almost 600,000 people. This makes it smaller than area than any state. In population, it is larger than Wyoming. This argument is, of course, absurd.
With its population, DC should have three electoral votes, one Representative and two Senators. DC currently has the electoral votes due to a Constitutional amendment. There is no voting representation, however, in either the House or the Senate.
A late 1970s proposed amendment would have granted DC voting rights in Congress, but failed with only 16 states approving. In the 1980s, DC held a constitutional convention and official petitioned to become a state. Congress has never accepted the convention. It was most recently voted on in 1993, and was defeated 277-153.
Are any Democrats who voted against it still in office? Just throwing that out there.
And now: Lieberman! In 2003, Lieberman introduced in the Senate and Eleanor Holmes Norton in the House a bill that would have granted DC voting representation in Congress. This bill has not passed.
Others have suggested the DC either join Maryland, or count as part of Maryland in voting only - which I guess is acceptable (speaking as a Marylander myself).
The most recent proposal, which may pass, is the DC Fair and Equal House Voting Rights Act of 2006. It grants DC one vote in the House, but not the Senate, and grants Utah an additional vote as well. This would be an at large seat in Utah, so it would be an obvious Republican gain which would cancel out the DC vote. However, also note that this at large seat would then be moved every census and would go the state which is closest to having another electoral vote under the current rules. It would not be an at large seat when given to a new state.
Since the Utah-vote-thing is clearly meant to pass because it won't change the overall makeup of the House, and won't effect the Senate, the coming Democratic wave needs to rectify this bill as soon as possible.
The DC Fair and Equal House Voting Rights Act of 2006 is not an acceptable substitute for real representation in Congress. The people of Utah do not deserve extra representation just so the people of our nation's capital can begin to exercise their full franchise.