By: Miriam Edelman
Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. – On September 30, 2023, the board of the National Organization for Women (NOW) passed a resolution regarding democracy in Washington, D.C. This resolution stipulates that NOW will support pro-D.C. initiatives (including continuing to support D.C. statehood), will oppose efforts to interfere in D.C. affairs, and will (or at least try to) join the HANDS OFF DC Coalition.
DCNOW’s President Rose Brunache remarked, “I am pleased that NOW’s board passed this resolution authored by DCNOW member Miriam Edelman who was born and raised in Washington, D.C. At the board meeting when this resolution was passed, I explained why this resolution is important. I commend my fellow NOW board members for approving this resolution.”
DCNOW looks forward to collaborating with NOW on local D.C. democracy issues. Washington, D.C., residents should be able to govern themselves like other Americans do.
The text of the resolution is the following:
Local Washington, D.C., Democracy
WHEREAS, D.C. is the only capital in a democracy whose citizens do not have equal voting and representation in the national legislature; and
WHEREAS, the District of Columbia experiences taxation without representation, which is also why the United States became a country; and
WHEREAS, D.C. is represented by one non-voting delegate in the U.S. House of Representatives and nothing in the U.S. Senate; and
WHEREAS, the nation’s capital has a plurality African-American population of around 700,000 people (which is a larger population than that of two states); and
WHEREAS, D.C. residents have no control over international, national, and local issues; and
WHEREAS, the U.S. government must approve D.C. government-passed legislation; and
WHEREAS, D.C.’s Mayor Muriel Bowser lost U.S. House of Representatives Floor privileges through new U.S. House rules in 2023; and
WHEREAS, D.C.’s U.S. House delegate was stripped of her non-binding Committee of the Whole vote in 2023; and
WHEREAS, Congress tried to prevent three D.C. government-passed bill from becoming law in 2023; and
WHEREAS, the U.S. government prevented D.C. government-passed crime bill from becoming law (marking the first time in multiple decades that a D.C. government-passed piece of legislation was prevented from becoming law) in 2023; and
WHEREAS, D.C. has been the subject of anti-D.C. pieces of legislation and Congressional hearings in 2023; and
WHEREAS, Republicans would like to have their vote-suppressing election reforms to be implemented and used as a model in D.C.; and
WHEREAS, Republicans want to repeal home rule in Washington, D.C;
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Organization for Women will support pro-Washington, D.C., initiatives (such as continuing to support D.C. statehood); and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the National Organization for Women will oppose efforts to interfere in local D.C. affairs; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the National Organization for Women will join the HANDS OFF DC Coalition regarding local interference in local D.C. issues.
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