Text of: 794-R569
The Committee recommends concurrence as amended as follows:
Amend "Ratification for District of Columbia Representation," p. 569, Book of Resolutions:
The Scriptures tell us clearly that God shows no partiality (Acts 10:34 NRSV). The Social Principles of The United Methodist Church cite state that "the strength of a political system depends upon the full and willing participation of its citizens." as a key factor in the strength of our political system.
In keeping with the idea of impartiality and the call for citizen participation, we are concerned about the lagging issue of ratification of the constitutional amendment providing for full representation of the District of Columbia in the Congress. We are well aware that the population of the District of Columbia is powerless with respect to our national legislative body.
In October of 1971, a statement of the Board of Christian Social Concerns of The United Methodist Church asked the United States Congress to provide the District of Columbia of with two voting U.S. Senators plus the number of voting U.S. Representatives it would be entitled to if it were a State. This position was reaffirmed by the Board of Church and Society in October of 1978.
In 1978, the U.S. Congress passed a constitutional amendment providing for full voting representation of the District of Columbia in both the House and the Senate.
In order for This this amendment is now before the various state legislatures and, to become law, must it needed to be ratified by thirty- eight states by 1985. A number of states have already ratified the amendment. Only 16 of the required 38 states voted to ratify the amendment.
In 1993, the League of Women Voters U.S. (LWVUS) Board again tried to attain voting rights for Washingtonians. They agreed that statehood would "afford the same rights of self-government and full voting representation" for citizens of the District as of other U.S. citizens. Unfortunately, this effort did not succeed.
The population of the District of Columbia contains about 750,000 residents is approximately 950,000. This represents a population equal to or greater than seven states, each of which has full voting representation in the U.S. Congress. Each year, District residents pay more than $1 billion into the federal treasury, yet they are not permitted to have voting representation in the Congress. Such a practice appears to violate our American heritage of "no taxation without representation" no taxation without representation.
In terms of simple justice, we believe it is appropriate that District of Columbia citizens should have the right to elect national legislators who make the laws under which they too mustlive. Therefore, we urge all uncommitted state legislatures to ratify the constitutional amendment providing the District of Columbia with full voting representation in the Congress. Therefore, we have joined the Coalition for D.C. Representation in encouraging Leagues across the country to call for the rights enjoyed by all other citizens to be applied to the residents of the District of Columbia. We further encourage all United Methodists to support contact their state legislators in this endeavor on this issue.
See Social Principles, 68B.
Add: Delete the ratification of the District of Columbia representation on p. 569 of current Book of Resolutions.
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