DC residents would gain two US Senators and a voting House Representative that would represent our interests in Congress. Congress would no longer have the power to veto legislation passed in DC.
WHY STATEHOOD: DEMOCRACY DENIED
THE PROMISE OF DEMOCRACY MUST BE LIVED AND PROTECTED, AND IT MUST BELONG TO EVERY ONE OF US.
Together for DC is a campaign led by District residents and allies nationwide aimed at building national solidarity in support of DC’s autonomy and statehood.
DC residents have been calling for our full democratic rights and the ability to govern ourselves for more than 200 years and momentum is growing.
Here’s What You Need To Know
01
DC residents hold the same responsibilities as other Americans, including paying federal income taxes, but we are denied our full rights, including voting representation in Congress.
02
Because DC is not a state, Congress has been able to overturn local DC laws, block DC from passing local laws, and prevent DC from spending local taxpayer dollars in a variety of harmful, anti-democratic ways.
03
By making DC a state, Congress would return the right to vote for representation and the right to self-governance to the hundreds of thousands of people who live here.
04
When DC residents raise their concerns directly with Members of Congress about the harms of their actions, we are regularly ignored because we are not their “constituents,” despite the extent of their control over DC’s autonomy.
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How does this impact people?
Decisions that should be handled by locally elected officials are regularly made by politicians DC residents don’t vote for and don’t answer to. Congress has the power to override DC’s local laws and budget and has prevented DC from passing laws that expand access to reproductive health care, creating its own tax policy to fund cash assistance for people with low incomes, modernizing its outdated criminal code, and regulating cannabis after the majority of residents voted to do so in 2014. DC residents with the fewest resources have the most to lose when Members of Congress interfere in DC governance to advance their political agenda.
When democracy is undermined in the nation’s capitol, it is undermined everywhere. DC is a testing ground for occupation, overreach, scare tactics, and abuse of power. Everyone has a stake and a role in defending the promise of democracy.
To win DC statehood, we need your help.
Members of Congress from the 50 states ignore this massive civil rights issue because DC residents are not their constituents. These Members of Congress don’t represent residents of DC and can’t be held accountable by us. When constituents across the country contact their members of Congress about DC statehood, it transforms DC’s fight from a local issue that Congress can ignore into one they cannot.
What we’re doing: Our Platform
Our platform is a clear declaration of support for protecting DC autonomy and the urgent need for DC statehood. Endorsing our platform is one way to support our growing people-powered solidarity movement.
Advocate for DC Statehood
We’re united with allies across all 50 states to pass H.R.51–The Washington, DC Admission Act, making DC the 51st state. When you show up for DC, you are showing up for the democracy you want to live in too.