Catania appeals to Congressional Republicans on DC Voting Rights
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Catania appeals to Congressional Republicans on DC Voting Rights

[Note: The following letter on D.C. voting rights was sent from D.C. Councilmember David A. Catania to each Republican member of the House of Representatives.]

March 22, 2000

The Honorable J. Dennis Hastert
2263 Rayburn House Office Building
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Speaker Hastert:

As a Republican Member of the Council of the District of Columbia, I am seeking your assistance in remedying an injury which successive generations of Washingtonians have suffered. I represent over 500,000 Americans who, despite fulfilling every responsibility of citizenship, are deprived of the most precious and basic right of voting representation in the United States Congress. As the first step in addressing this injustice, I am asking for your support in restoring full voting rights to the District's Delegate to Congress.

While it is clear that the Constitution gives Congress absolute authority over the District, it does not necessarily follow that District residents should automatically be deprived of voting representation in that body. Our Founding Fathers believed that the Federal government's supremacy over the seat of government was required in order to prevent a state government from undermining the activities of the Federal government. However, when viewed in the modern context, the supremacy of the Federal government over the District of Columbia would certainly not be threatened by permitting District residents voting representation in Congress. By analogy, state legislatures do not surrender their supremacy by enfranchising the residents of their respective capitals.

The evidence indicates that our Founding Fathers did not intend to disenfranchise District of Columbia residents from voting representation in Congress. Federalist Paper No. 43, authored by James Madison, clearly contemplated a continuation of the existing rights for the inhabitants of the eventual seat of government. In fact, after land was ceded by Maryland and Virginia in 1791 to make up the original District, Congressional voting rights were preserved. Residents of the newly founded City of Washington continued to vote for Congressional representatives as citizens of either Maryland or Virginia until 1800, when this basic right was denied.

Continuing to deprive American citizens of Congressional representation offends the ideals upon which our Republican Party was founded. In the past, Republicans have been on the right side of history in offering remedies to Constitutional shortcomings. Among other contributions, the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the Constitution were drafted and championed by our Republican Party. Permitting the residents of the District of Columbia the ability to participate through Congressional representation as equals in the American family is consistent with our Party's historical commitment to equality and justice.

Sincerely,

David A. Catania
Councilmember (At-Large, Republican)