Stand Up for DC’s Right to Vote

Stand Up for DC’s Right to Vote

A striking yard sign is springing up on lawns across the nation’s capital: a fist grasping a “V” with the words “I Demand The Vote” and “No Taxation Without Representation” written below.

For nearly 600,000 DC residents there is, finally, some light at the end of a long tunnel. A bill which would give the District its first voting Representative–already approved by the House–was approved by the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs in a 9-1 bipartisan vote.

“At every turn over the past four years, people have doubted our ability to move this legislation,” said DC Vote Executive Director Ilir Zherka. “But we have both the moral advantage in this debate and the bipartisan support to get the job done. We also now have the momentum we need to get this bill enacted by the full Senate.”

Copy Link
Facebook
X (Twitter)
Bluesky
Pocket
Email

A striking yard sign is springing up on lawns across the nation’s capital: a fist grasping a “V” with the words “I Demand The Vote” and “No Taxation Without Representation” written below.

For nearly 600,000 DC residents there is, finally, some light at the end of a long tunnel. A bill which would give the District its first voting Representative–already approved by the House–was approved by the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs in a 9-1 bipartisan vote.

“At every turn over the past four years, people have doubted our ability to move this legislation,” said DC Vote Executive Director Ilir Zherka. “But we have both the moral advantage in this debate and the bipartisan support to get the job done. We also now have the momentum we need to get this bill enacted by the full Senate.”

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said he will bring the bill to the floor when he knows he has the 60 votes necessary to overcome the Filibuster party (once known as Republicans). According to DC Vote, the 60 votes are within reach – currently, 55 Senators have indicated they will vote for cloture.

Today, DC Vote and its coalition partners are conducting a National Call-in Day to make a final push before the August recess. Between 9:00 – 6:00, people can call toll free at 1.866.346.3008 for some brief information about the importance of the bill and then be patched through to their Senators.

Indiana, Kansas, Minnesota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Virginia constituents are particularly needed. But everyone is encouraged to let their Senators know that they support this bill–this effort is not only about cloture but also passage and enactment.

“There hasn’t been a filibuster of a voting rights issue since the 50’s and 60’s,” said DC Vote Communications Director Kevin Kiger. “We don’t want a return to those dark days. It’s time to allow a vote on this bill.”

Stand-up for your fellow citizens in the District of Columbia. Be a part of this important National Call-in Day.

Become a Sustaining Donor This September

Between the reemergence of right-wing red-baiting and Donald Trump’s use of the chilling National Security Presidential Memorandum–7 to criminalize left political organizing, we’re seeing McCarthyism reborn before our eyes.

This assault on democracy cannot be ignored or wished away. Resisting it requires bravery in the face of threats and repression, a steadfast commitment to the truth, and the unwavering belief that we can—and will—overcome this darkness.

We must have an independent media that sets the record straight, unearths corruption and abuses of power, and advances a politics of justice and dignity for all if we’re to win this fight.

That’s why I’m writing to you today. This September, The Nation needs to add 100 monthly donors to sustain our progressive journalism. Your contribution makes the next investigative report, the next truth-speaking column, and the next pathbreaking essay all possible. 

I hope you’ll support our work with a recurring donation today. If you donate $10 or more a month, we’ll send you a brand new “Hands Off the Free Press!” sticker to recognise your commitment to our cause. Please, donate today. 

Onward,

Katrina vanden Heuvel
Editor and Publisher, The Nation

Ad Policy
x