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| July 24th, 2007 |
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Media Contact(s): Peter Carr (202) 224-9854,
Jared Whitley (202) 224-5251 |
[  ] Listen to Radio Clip |
Printable Version |
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HATCH JOINS CIVIL RIGHTS ADVOCATES IN SUPPORT OF D.C., UTAH VOTING RIGHTS
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Washington – Today Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and a prominent group of civil rights advocates come together to discuss one of the nation’s most overlooked civil and human rights violations – the lack of voting representation in Congress for the residents of the District of Columbia.
The press conference anticipates a vote in the Senate on the DC Voting Rights Act, which will give the D.C. a voting seat in the House and Utah an additional seat in the House. Many Utahns feel that their state was mishandled by the 2000 Census, which - by a count of less than 900 - ruled that the booming Beehive State receive only three House seats, rather than four.
Joining Hatch in the panel were Jack Kemp, former Congressman, and Ilir Zherka, executive director of DC Vote.
There is no more important right in American society than the right to vote. Americans understand this – a January 2005 poll by KRC Research found 82 percent of Americans support full House representation for residents of D.C.
Hatch's opening statement follows:
As longtime member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, I believe Congress is on firm constitutional ground in giving one full House seat to the District of Columbia.
Some of my Republican colleagues see this differently. They point to one part of the Constitution that says the House “shall be composed of members chosen by the people of several states.” But it takes more than repeating the single word states to overcome two centuries of political and judicial precedents that have upheld Congress’s Constitutional authority over the District “in all cases whatsoever.”
I believe that, if they listen to the many arguments in favor of this bill, my colleagues will be convinced that Congress may do what Congress should do – provide the most precious right of representation to all Americans.
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