The DC Voting Rights Legislation which would give the district a long sought after vote in Congress appears to be at an impasse in The House of Representatives thanks to the gun amendment passed by the Senate last week.
“D.C. leaders hoped that provision would not be included in the House version, but the National Rifle Association indicated this week that it might keep track of which House members voted in favor of bringing the voting rights bill to the floor without the possibility of amendments. Those members would be judged by the NRA as opposing gun rights, a position that could be unpopular in many of their home jurisdictions.
House leaders have concluded that they have 190 solid votes in favor of blocking all amendments, 28 fewer than necessary for approval, sources with knowledge of strategy discussions said. To round up enough support, the voting rights supporters will target the group of more than 60 members from conservative areas.” – The Washington Post
As I mentioned before I have a lot to say about this but in short:
1) The legislation if passed would likely be subject to judicial scrutiny: It might not be Constitutional.
2) DC should not accept less than full representation in Congress (Statehood).
3) The gun amendment is a silly. It’s tacked on in an effort to either derail the bill or give a blow to DC sovereignty to begin with.
For her part, DC’s non-voting delegate to the House is working hard on a series of “Free and Equal DC” bills to try to wrestle the city from federal control.
Washington DC shou;ld get very special consideration. Even the “Homeless” are upscale. Michelle Obama visited a local Soup Kitchen and served the homeless “Risotto”. Must have had “Tiramisu” for desert.