An important milestone was reached yesterday, the passage of the DC Voting Rights bill in the House Judiciary Committee. The bill is expected to head to the House floor next week. The bill would grant voting rights to the District of Columbia on the House floor. The District currently has a vote in House committees but not on the floor of the House. This legislation would give DC, a highly populated area, full representation in the House of Representatives. The bill would also stipulate that a new district be created (to maintain a party balance) in Utah, making the total number of Representatives 437 rather than 435. The District will still be without a vote in the US Senate.
The bill is likely to pass the House floor next week, but is understood to reach a difficult time in the Senate. Support is questionable because current members of congress have voted for this bill largely along party lines. The Democrats in the Senate will not be able to call a vote for the bill without consent from the Republican members. Supporters of the bill are optimistic that the two Senators from Utah, Senators Hatch and Bennett, will rally Republican support for the bill because their state would too pick up a representative.
Still, yesterday's vote should not be overlooked as an important step. DC voting rights have become a priority in this Congress and has good chances of finally giving the residents of the District the rights they are entitled to by the Constitution.
Click to read an article about yesterday's milestone
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