Sunday, July 30, 2006
Lack of Representation for DC Residents Slammed by UN
Residents from the nation's capital have no member in Congress who exclusively represents their interests; and Reuters reports that the United Nations on Friday "urged U.S. lawmakers to give the District of Columbia a voting member of Congress."
The international body politic said that "the lack of such representation appeared inconsistent with international law."
Indeed, before the twenty-first constitutional amendment was ratified in 1961, residents of the District of Columbia couldn't even vote for president; a recent campaign by DC residents with the catchy license plate phrase, "Taxation without representation" hopes to be able to mobilize national and international public opinion in support of representation.The rebuke came in a report released by the committee in Geneva on Friday which said residents of the U.S. capital deserved to take part in government affairs directly or through freely chosen representatives under the 1992 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
Rep. Tom Davis supports legislation that would create two new House seats, one for heavily Democratic DC and the other for Utah, "the largely Republican state that was next in line for a new seat based on 2000 Census Bureau data."The State party (the United States) should ensure the right of residents of the District of Columbia to take part in the conduct of public affairs, directly or through freely chosen representatives, in particular with regard to the House of representatives," the panel said.
The House Judiciary Committee is scheduled to hold a meeting on Sept. 14. Reuters reports the bill was earlier overwhelmingly endorsed by the House Government Reform Committee.
Hmmm, looks like all those license plates whirling around town to and fro might have received the intended national and international notice and support.
// posted by Howling Latina @ 4:44 PM 
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The citizens of DC deserve voting representation in Congress ... or they should be exempt from paying federal taxes!
BAC
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