A Proposal for Congressional Representation for DC

[David in Canada]

Hello,

I read earlier about the efforts to grant the residents of the District of Columbia representation in the United States Congress. I believe that while the efforts of the bill were in the proper spirit, it was sadly contrary to the United States Constitution.

Detractors claim that the District of Columbia was not intended to be treated as a state or equal to a state. They are indeed correct in this matter.

However, the United States is the sole nation in the world not to accord parliamentary representation to its national capital and this is disgraceful.

Therefore, the proper response is a Constitutional amendment that accords representation in the Congress while acknowledging its sui generis status vis-a-vis the states and federal government.

Ergo, my proposal is thus:

1) The District of Columbia is to maintain its current 3 Electoral Votes as established by Amendment XXIII of the United States Constitution.

2) The District of Columbia will elect one United States Senator for 2-year terms.

3) The District of Columbia will elect one member of the United States House of Representatives. The District of Columbia will elect one member of the House regardless of its population.

I believe this compromise will be acceptable to the requisite 2/3rds of the House and Senate, respectively; as well as the the legislatures of the 38 states in order to secure ratification.

By promoting a true democratic future to the residents of the District of Columbia while acknowledging its sui generis status, it won't be 100% perfect. However, the action itself is a concrete and pragmatic step forward in both the civic life of the District of Columbia and the maturing of our nation.

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So, what do you think?