Fight For DC Representation Gets Tougher As Senate Vote Nears

Since it's creation the District of Columbia has never had representation in Congress. Sure, they have a delegate...and a damn good one, but she can't vote as the other 435 members can. For years now there has been an effort to give D.C. a Congressmember and now that the Dems are in power, the ability to get it done has greatly improved. However, as the bill winds its way through the process, those that do not want a solidly Democratic seat added on are voicing their absurdities "concerns."

From ThinkProgress:

Today, the Senate began debate on S. 160, a bill to “provide the District of Columbia a voting seat and the State of Utah an additional seat in the House of Representatives.” DCist reports that the chamber will likely hold the cloture vote tomorrow.

In a new piece in the National Review, former Justice Department official Hans von Spakovsky tries to make the case that D.C. residents don’t deserve full federal voting rights. Spakovsky, of course, has a history of vote suppression allegations while serving in the Bush administration.

In his piece, Spakovsky goes beyond the traditional constitutionality claim made by opponents, such as Sen. John McCain (R-AZ). He claims that D.C. residents don’t need a full voting member in Congress because every federal lawmaker is supposedly looking out for their best interests. Toward the end, he also claims that this bill — supported by Republicans such as Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) — is nothing more than a “raw grab at political power” by Democrats.

Good thing though, there are smarter, and more truthful people around to correct Spakovsky's effort at keeping D.C. residents license plates reading "Taxation without Representation." Perhaps he likes to see them as he heads out of the District to wherever his home is, but it is long past the time that we straigten this matter out.