Jack, Taxation without representation was wrong in 1776, and it is wrong today.

The fight for D.C. statehood has been ongoing for decades. Despite D.C. residents contributing more federal taxes per capita than any other state, they are denied the basic democratic right of voting representation in Congress. This stark contradiction is a clear injustice.

Sign the petition: Statehood for D.C. now!

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Frequent congressional interference in local D.C. affairs exacerbates this lack of representation. Such interference often undermines the will of D.C. voters and local government decisions. For instance, Congress has blocked or overturned local laws on issues ranging from marijuana legalization to abortion access.

Moreover, the opposition to D.C. statehood is deeply rooted in racism. The resistance to granting statehood is historically tied to the racial demographics of D.C. The argument that D.C. is "too small" or "uniquely federal" masks underlying racial and political biases. Granting statehood would mean acknowledging the political power of a predominantly Black and Brown city, a shift that some politicians find threatening to the status quo.

The argument for D.C. statehood is clear and compelling. It is a matter of basic fairness, justice, and democracy. As residents of the United States capital, the people of D.C. deserve the same rights as their fellow Americans in the fifty states.

Sign the petition: the time for D.C. statehood is now. Congress must stop denying equal representation to hundreds of thousands of American citizens.

SIGN THE PETITION
Thanks for all you do,
Mayra Souza, Daily Kos

P.S. Below is an email we sent out earlier demanding D.C. statehood:

Jack, sign the petition: Statehood for D.C. now!

SIGN THE PETITION
The people of Washington, D.C., pay the highest federal taxes per capita, but have no voting representation in either chamber of Congress. That is taxation without representation.

Washington, D.C. is the only national capital in the democratic world whose citizens do not have equal voting and representation rights–and that denial of statehood and representation is rooted in racism. District residents bear all the responsibilities of full U.S. citizenship—they serve on juries, in the U.S. military, pay taxes, and work hard to build safe, strong communities where they live. Despite this, D.C. residents, the majority of whom are Black and Brown, have no vote on any decisions our Congress makes every day.

To add insult to injury, every decision by local elected officials, from paving streets to funding schools to criminal justice reform, must be approved by Congress. This is a power that Congress frequently abuses, overriding the voice of the people time and again.

This is a clear case of voter suppression, and granting statehood to Washington, D.C. would end this injustice. Equality at the ballot box cannot be guaranteed until Congress grants the residents of D.C. the statehood they deserve, making them an equal part of our democratic process.

Sign the petition: the time for D.C. statehood is now. Congress must stop denying equal representation to hundreds of thousands of American citizens.

SIGN THE PETITION
Thanks for all you do,
Erin Tulley, Daily Kos