Reply from Congressman Van Hollen

 

Dear Friend:

Thank you for contacting me to express your support for Congressional representation for the District of Columbia . I appreciate hearing from you on this important matter.

There simply is no excuse not to allow the hundreds of thousands of District residents the right to have equal representation in the United States Congress. They are citizens in every way. They pay the same federal taxes as anyone else, can serve in the armed forces, and are subject to the same laws of the land.

I support full voting rights for the people of the District of Columbia . You will be pleased to know that the House passed the District of Columbia House Voting Rights Act of 2007 (H.R. 1905) by a vote of 241-177 on April 19, 2007 . I voted for this legislation, which would give the District of Columbia a full vote in the House. It is the culmination of years of negotiations to ensure the legislation would not provide an advantage to either political party and would have a good chance of passage. H.R. 1905 now awaits action in the Senate. I will continue to work with my colleagues to see that this legislation is enacted so that residents of the District of Columbia can have a voting representative in the House.

Again, I appreciate knowing your views and your taking the time to share them with me. Please let me know whenever I may be of service to you.

Sincerely,
Chris Van Hollen
Member of Congress


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