Today’s Action: Tell Congress to support D.C. statehood

Washington, D.C. has 702,000 residents…more than both Vermont and Wyoming. But unlike the residents of Vermont and Wyoming, who each have two Senators and one Representative in Congress, those in D.C. have no voices speaking for them at the federal level.

So why do many Republicans oppose statehood for D.C., despite the clear population need for representation? The answer is simple. Vermont’s population of Black residents sits at 1.27%, and Wyoming’s at 1.1%… whereas D.C.’s population is 47.5% Black and only 40.7% White. And the assumption is, the state of Washington, D.C. would elect Democrats.

With rampant GOP voter suppression running wild this past decade, statehood for D.C. is more than just a question of logistics…it’s a clear and serious civil rights issue.

Call or email your Members of Congress and demand their support of statehood for Washington, D.C by cosponsoring the Washington, D.C. Admission Act. And if they’ve already cosponsored (H.R.51/S.631), thank them!

Republicans aren’t even denying the political games behind their opposition. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is on the record stating he doesn’t want D.C. or Puerto Rico to ever reach statehood simply because he doesn’t want more Democrats in Congress. No care or consideration for the citizens in those areas who have zero representation to speak on their behalf and fight for their rights.

Which fits right in line with GOP voter suppression, which has run wild since the right-wing Supreme Court shut down key elements of the Voter Rights Act in 2013, rapidly returning to practices that pre-date the Civil Rights Era of the 1960’s and taking every step to suppress and silence voters of color.

Statehood for D.C. would give Congressional voice to hundreds of thousands of people of color who deserve it every bit as much as any other American. The work to enfranchise the people of D.C. must start now as we push to get over the finish line after Democrats take control in 2021.

Email or call (202.224.3121) your Members of Congress and tell them to cosponsor and support the Washington, D.C. Admission Act to make D.C a state. If they’ve already cosponsored (H.R.51/S.631), tell them thanks for supporting hundreds of thousands of voters with no representation of their own.