| Show Anew A new chance for DC D.C. UT Voting Rights Proponents Need to Temper Their Optimism After Barack Victory The Washington Post The following editorial appeared in Thursdays Thursday's Washington Post Proponents of DC D.C. voting rights are right to tobe tobe tobe be encouraged even ecstatic about the results of this weeks week's historic elections Not only is V President-elect President Barack an an avowed ally but the their r efforts will be greatly aided by Democratic gains in Congress But as promising as prospects look hurdles still exist and DC D.C. officials need to tread carefully if they are areto areto areto to succeed in ending the unjust disenfranchisement of citizens living in the District of Columbia Within hours of Mr stunning win officials were all but predicting victory in getting a vote for DC D.C. residents in the House of Representatives A measure to add two seats to the House one for DC D.C. and andone andone andone one for Utah passed the House last year but stalled in the Senate when it fell three votes shy of the 60 needed to avert a filibuster Mr Mr was sponsor co-sponsor of t the e Senate bill bili Vice President-elect President Joseph R. R Biden Jr supported it and at least five Senate Republicans who voted against bringing the bill to the floor wont won't be returning for the next session Del Eleanor Homes Norton D.C. D-D.C. predicted that this change would produce more votes than are needed to get the bill to the floor And absent the hint of a presidential veto which was the case with President Bush it has a good chance of passing and being signed into law although it would face an almost certain court challenge Still as Ms Norton well knows nothing can ever be taken for granted when J. J it comes to DC D.C. and its rights We think here of President Clinton's election in 1992 Democrats gained control of both the House and Senate and there was talk of statehood for the District A bill made it to the House floor on Nov 21 1993 but it fell far short of a majority One hundred and five Democrats jo joined ned all but one of the Houses House's Republicans to defeat the measure That episode should be instructive to those who flush with Tuesdays Tuesday's victories are talking about DC D.C. not needing Utah to be part of a solution or who are aiming for full representation in both the House and Senate In fact such overreaching risks alienating allies in both bothI I parties The best approach is to secure what would be a significant and meaningful victory passage of the existing voting rights act that would for the first time give DC D.C. residents a vote in Congress Then city leaders could carefully explore other ways to provide greater democracy for the residents of the nations nation's capital including ways to secure a voice in the Senate Foremost in these efforts must be winning legislative and budget autonomy for forthe forthe forthe the DC D.C. government It is intolerable that DC D.C. residents have no voice in Congress but it is just as wrong that Congress has the final word on the city's business y |
