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COMMITTEE REPORT
January 15, 2013
H. 3178
S. Printed 1/15/13--H. [SEC 1/16/13 2:53 PM]
Read the first time January 8, 2013.
To whom was referred a House Resolution (H. 3178) to memorialize the Congress of the United States to enact legislation granting full democracy and statehood for the District of Columbia that will guarantee to the residents, etc., respectfully
That they have duly and carefully considered the same and recommend that the same do pass:
LISTON D. BARFIELD for Committee.
TO MEMORIALIZE THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES TO ENACT LEGISLATION GRANTING FULL DEMOCRACY AND STATEHOOD FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA THAT WILL GUARANTEE TO THE RESIDENTS OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA FULL CONGRESSIONAL VOTING REPRESENTATION, BUDGET AUTONOMY, AND ALL OF THE RIGHTS THAT THE PEOPLE OF THE FIFTY UNITED STATES ENJOY.
Whereas, the United States Constitution that was ratified in 1788 provided the right to vote for representation in Congress to the "People living" in the several states of the United States, and included citizens of the several states as well as those living on the land that would later be designated by the federal government for the nation's capital as ceded by Maryland and Virginia to become the District of Columbia; and
Whereas, through the enactment of the "District of Columbia Organic Act of 1801" residents of the District of Columbia (DC) were disenfranchised from voting for representative Members of Congress for 210 years; and
Whereas, DC residents pay among the highest per capita federal taxes in the nation and more than 200,000 residents have served in the federal armed services, and yet DC residents have no vote in the United States Congress; and
Whereas, no other nation in the world denies the right of self-government, including participation in its national legislature, to the residents of its capital; and
Whereas, the residents of the District of Columbia lack full democracy, equality, and citizenship enjoyed by the residents of the fifty states; and
Whereas, the new House majority began the 112th Congress by stripping DC Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton of a vote in the Committee of the Whole, and implementing new legislation trampling on DC Home Rule including overriding a Congressional and local compromise on private school vouchers for DC; and
Whereas, on January 12, 2011, DC Delegate Norton introduced three bills on attaining self-governance for the District of Columbia: the New Columbia Admission Act providing for statehood for DC, the DC Equal Representation Act allowing DC both House and Senate seats, and the DC House Voting Rights Act providing DC a House vote; and
Whereas, on January 19, 2011, DC Delegate Norton introduced the DC Budget Autonomy Act of 2011 to allow the DC budget of local taxpayer-raised funds to become law without Congressional approval, recognizing that while the District of Columbia has timely passed a balanced budget for each of the last sixteen years, the District of Columbia has faced the possibility of being shut down each year because of Congressional deliberations over the federal budget and the imposition of riders opposed by the District of Columbia; and
Whereas, the residents of the District of Columbia have endorsed statehood for the District of Columbia, and have been pressing for Congressional voting rights and budget autonomy. Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives:
That the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives, by this resolution, respectfully memorialize Congress to enact legislation granting full democracy and statehood for the District of Columbia that will guarantee to the residents of the District of Columbia full Congressional voting representation, budget autonomy, and all of the rights that the people of the fifty United States enjoy.
Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to the South Carolina Congressional Delegation.
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