DC Vote Applauds Declaration for American Democracy Reaffirming the Priority of DC Statehood

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
June 14, 2021

PRESS CONTACT:
Will Soltero
[email protected]

The Declaration for American Democracy (DFAD), a coalition of 200+ organizations working to make democracy real for all of us, announced today a reaffirmation of DC Statehood as a core policy priority, just a week before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee will hold a hearing on the issue. DC Vote, a member of DFAD and one of the leading organizations for DC Statehood, released the following statement:

“The Declaration for American Democracy has always stood for a stronger and more inclusive democracy, and DC Vote is proud to stand alongside more than 200 organizations nationwide in our shared mission to address the deep systemic, institutional challenges facing our democracy today.

“DC Statehood—and the present lack thereof—is an unmistakable oversight that continues to disenfranchise more than 700,000 Americans to this day. Any serious effort to address the historic barriers to democracy faced by Black and Brown Americans must prioritize Statehood for the people of Washington DC. The Declaration for American Democracy’s commitment does exactly that by affirming support for the Washington DC Admission Act, and lays out the path to a critical legislative package, including the For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, to strengthen and protect our democracy for everyone. 

“DC Vote and the residents of our nation’s capital will continue to work as a part of this national coalition to ensure our democracy is truly inclusive and accessible throughout the United States of America. Make no mistake: that mission includes the District of Columbia, and that mission is not complete without DC Statehood.”

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