Should Washington D.C., get a vote in Congress? Congress is considering a bill that would give the District a vote in the House, but critics argue it's unconstitutional.

• Author: Zherka, Ilir
• Position: DEBATE

YES

Centuries after it was a rallying cry in the American Revolution, "taxation without representation" is still a fact of life for the 600,000 Americans who live in Washington, D.C.

District of Columbia residents pay more federal taxes per capita than any state except Connecticut. They serve on juries, and fight and die in wars. Yet they have no voting members in the House of Representatives or the Senate--no say on health care, education, the economy, the environment, and the military.

Since World War I, almost 200,000 D.C. residents have served in the military, and nearly 2,000 have died in combat. Hundreds fight today to promote democracy in Iraq and Afghanistan--but all are denied democracy at home.

It's time to put an end to this injustice, and there is a way to fix this problem. Congress has the authority under the District Clause of the Constitution to give D.C. a vote in the House of Representatives, and a bill. now before Congress would provide D.C. residents their first-ever voting member. Passing this bill would be a big step toward equality for D.C. residents.

Opponents argue that the Constitution says members of the House can only be elected by "people of the several, states." In fact, D.C. is already treated as a state in hundreds of ways. Most notably, D.C. is treated as a state for the purposes of federal. taxation; The Constitution states that federal, taxes can be levied "among the several, states." But District residents pay billions every year in federal, taxes.

Money aside, Congress makes Life or death decisions that affect Americans every day. D.C. residents shouldn't be left without a voice in these critical, issues.

--ILIR ZHERKA Executive Director, DC Vote

NO

Washington, D.C., was designed by the Founders to function differently than a state, to be autonomous and not subject to the pressures of a state government. This argument is just as relevant today as it was 220 years ago.

Those who support the current legislation to...