“Lesbian joins historic all-woman slate of D.C. electors”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
February 11, 2021
MEDIA CONTACT:
Devon Cruz
[email protected]
WASHINGTON—Today, leading DC Statehood organization, DC Vote, released the following statement regarding Sen. Mike Lee’s and Rep. Gary Palmer’s introduction of a Congressional Joint Resolution to denounce the District’s recently passed Minor Consent for Vaccinations Amendments Act of 2020:
“Sen. Mike Lee’s and Rep. Gary Palmer’s resolution to denounce and ultimately overturn a recently passed DC law has less to do with the content of the bill and more to do with exerting federal power over the District’s more than 700,00 residents. After all, bills similar to the District law exist in many states throughout the country—including Alabama, Rep. Gary Palmer’s home state.
Whether the Republican lawmakers like it or not, the bill was passed by a City Council, all duly elected by the residents of DC. Had this law been passed in any other state, there would be no question as to whether it should stand.
This resolution is yet another example of why Statehood must be granted to the District, and highlights the growing importance of obtaining self-determination. How is it that a Senator from Utah and a Representative from Alabama can use their offices to govern the people of a District in which they were not elected?
The residents of the District are just as American as the residents of any other state and it is long past the time to grant them the right to self-determination that all other American citizens receive. Only Statehood, and nothing else, is the path forward.”
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
January 22, 2021
PRESS CONTACT:
Devon Cruz
[email protected]
WASHINGTON D.C.—Today, DC Vote released the following statement after Senator Tom Carper introduced S. 51, the Senate’s DC Statehood bill:
“Two days into the Biden presidency, we are excited to see action taken to finally secure Statehood for DC,” said Bo Shuff, executive director of DC Vote. “This is the earliest the bill for DC statehood has ever been introduced in the Senate, and it’s imperative that the House and Senate move swiftly with their consideration of this historic legislation.”
The need for DC Statehood has never been more obvious. On the heels of yet another general election that left 712,000 DC residents without representation, not to mention a terrorist attack that left the District unable to activate its own National Guard troops, it’s now clearer than ever that the time for Statehood is now.
With S. 51 introduced in the Senate’s Homeland Security Committee, we urge Chairman Peters to move quickly, establish necessary hearings, and work alongside Majority Leader Schumer to advance the bill to the Senate floor for a vote. With a record-breaking 39 original co-sponsors, public support at record levels across the country, and support from President Biden, S. 51 should be a top priority in the Senate.
The residents of DC have waited long enough. DC residents deserve equal representation and the only path forward is Statehood.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
January 20, 2021
MEDIA CONTACT:
Will Soltero
[email protected]
WASHINGTON — Earlier today, DC Vote released the following statement after the
inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris:
Today, the world’s eyes are trained on Washington D.C. as the epicenter of both weeks of
unrest and a long-anticipated presidential inauguration. This day and the District will cement a
transition of political power, the result of free and fair elections held last November—free and fair for all but the 700,000 Americans living in the District of Columbia.
DC Vote joins the nation in celebrating the inauguration of President Joe Biden and that of Vice
President Kamala Harris, the first woman to ever take this distinguished office and a proud
alumna of Washington D.C.’s Howard University.
With the first 100 days of the Biden-Harris administration ahead, and with the spotlight shining
down on the District, it’s more important than ever that residents of Washington D.C. see full
and equal representation. We must secure local budget control, eliminate congressional
oversight of the District’s local laws and ultimately gain full democratic equality in the U.S.
House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. The only way to achieve this is by finally
granting statehood to the District of Columbia.
DC Vote will continue to build power through organizing and enlisting national support for our
resident-driven cause, and we look forward to working with Congress and the White House to
enact this powerful and lasting change for the people of Washington D.C. as soon as possible.