District of Columbia House Voting Rights Act of 2007

Floor Speech

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA HOUSE VOTING RIGHTS ACT OF 2007

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Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, first of all, let me thank the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia for yielding me this time. I also want to commend the chairman of oversight, the Honorable Henry Waxman, and the ranking member, Tom Davis, for their leadership on this tremendous legislation. But I also want to add accolades for the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia who has put her heart, mind and soul into this legislation; and without her leadership, we obviously would not be here this afternoon.

I have heard many people talk from both sides. I have heard individuals say that the Constitution denies the opportunity, and I am thinking of the Constitution as a living document. I don't want to keep the Constitution where it might have been. Representative Al Green made the most eloquent statement a few moments ago when he suggested there are always individuals on different sides of the Constitution. You can be on the right side, or you can be on the wrong side. You can be on the old side, or you can be on the new side; and the side that we are on this afternoon is the side that gives the residents of the District of Columbia the opportunity to help make more perfect this Union that we are a part of.

I stand firmly in support of this legislation. Again, I commend my colleagues on Oversight and Government Reform and urge all of the Members to vote in favor of giving the District of Columbia residents the right to vote.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1433, the ``District of Columbia House Voting Rights Act of 2007.'' I want to extend a thank you to Representatives TOM DAVIS and HENRY WAXMAN, and especially to Delegate ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON for their hard work and dedication in introducing and moving this legislation forward to provide the District of Columbia the right to vote with full representation in the House of Representatives.

The legislation before us today will give voting representation to over 500,000 District's residents and increase the size of the House from 435 to 437 voting members. The right to vote is the most basic act of citizenship. Voting representation for District residents who pay Federal taxes, defend our country during war, and contribute to the economic viability of other states, should not be disfranchised because they chose to live in the District of Columbia.

The Constitution, ratified in 1789, provided for the creation and government of a permanent home for the national government. Article I, Section 8, Clause 17, called for the creation of a Federal district to serve as the permanent seat of the national government and granted Congress the power, ``to exercise exclusive legislation in all cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten miles square) as may, by cession of particular states, and the acceptance of Congress, become the seat of government of the United States.......'' The Constitution grants Congress plenary power to govern the District of Columbia's affairs. This includes granting voting representation in the House of Representatives for the District of Columbia.

On March 13, 2007, H.R. 1433 was passed by a decisive vote of 24 yeas to 5 nays in the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and reflects bipartisan support for this legislation.

Madam Speaker, Congress is attempting to correct a longstanding inequity for residents in the Nation's Capital--taxation without representation. We in this body must up hold the Constitution by not denying a large mass of people their fundamental right to voting representation. Congress has the power to correct the wrongs of the past for District residents and it lies in our power to grant the people of DC the right to voting representation.

Madam Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support this legislation.

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