151 organizations sent a letter to members of Congress urging them to protect the District of Columbia’s autonomy by rejecting any federal bills that undermine its democratic institutions or overturn laws passed by DC voters or representatives.
“Any attack on the District of Columbia’s democratic institutions and right to self-governance is an attack on American democracy itself,” the letter states. DC has nearly 700,000 residents, 44 percent of whom are Black, who live, work, and raise families in vibrant communities, and are denied their full rights as Americans. Escalating federal interference in DC – from forced budget cuts, the takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department, and bills to repeal the Home Rule Act – is a brazen abuse of power and only underscores the need for equal representation for District residents in Congress.
Letter signatories, including Color Of Change, the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, call on Congress to make a commitment to these residents to vote against any legislation that overturns local laws or weakens DC’s ability to govern itself.
The full letter and list of signatories can be found here: https://www.naacpldf.org/wp-content/uploads/National-Letter-Committment-to-Defend-DCs-Autonomy-FINAL-2.0.pdf
Quotes from leaders:
- “DC’s 700,000 residents deserve to have our own tax dollars spent the way we see fit and, no matter the issue, to have upheld the local laws our elected leaders adopt on our behalf,” says DC Fiscal Policy Institute’s Executive Director, Erica Williams. “Our communities are not a laboratory for the political agendas of Congressmembers who don’t represent us, and our right to local self governance is a quintessential part of American democracy that should be respected.”
- “The federal administration is exploiting fear and a distorted narrative about crime to provide political cover for the most aggressive federal assaults on DC’s local governance in three decades,” says Queen Adesuyi, National Advocacy Lead for Fair Budget Coalition. “DC is a testing ground for federal intrusion that is already making its way beyond DC, as other jurisdictions across the country face similar threats of federal occupation and overreach. This authoritarian playbook is a nonpartisan threat to us all. DC deserves autonomy over its own local laws and budget – no different from any other locality in the nation. Members of Congress, across the aisle, must dismiss weaponized fearmongering, and approach votes on DC matters with the priority of protecting the sanctity of home rule. Rejecting attempts to undermine DC’s local governance in Congress is a litmus test for commitment to American democracy at-large.”
- “When federal lawmakers attack DC’s laws, they are attacking the most vulnerable Washingtonians. They seek to make immigrants feel unwelcome, criminalize our youth, and turn dog whistles into legislation. The continuing surge of ICE and other federal enforcement agencies reflect only one way DC residents, especially Black and immigrant communities, are under attack,” says Elizabeth Falcon, Executive Director of DC Jobs With Justice. “The laws before Congress are also an act of aggression that seek to incarcerate, disempower, and harm our residents. Every Member of Congress who believes in a pluralistic democracy must vote No on each and every one of these attacks.”