June 25, 2020
The Honorable Nancy Pelosi
235 Cannon House Office Building United States House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515
The Honorable Kevin McCarthy 2421 Rayburn House Office Building
United States House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515
Cc: All Members of the House of Representatives
Dear Speaker Pelosi, Minority Leader McCarthy and all Members of the House:
From the moment the District of Columbia Organic Act became law in 1801, Washingtonians have been denied full participation in their own government. For more than 200 years, the original form of voter suppression has blocked equal access to, and participation in, the representative structures that are the basis of the American ideal.
When white women were finally granted the right to vote in 1920, women in Washington, DC were left behind. When the 15th Amendment to the Constitution sought to enfranchise those who racism kept from participation, people of color in Washington were left behind. When limited home-rule passed in 1973, Congress recognized that injustice existed, but kept power over DC’s local budget and laws.
Across America today, people are working to dismantle racist constructs and systems. With a majority Black and brown population, the fight for DC Statehood cannot be separated from the fight for racial justice.
The Congress has the opportunity to make the 706,000 residents of Washington, DC full members of the American story by passing H.R. 51, the Washington, D.C. Admissions Act.
We, the undersigned organizations, stand firmly in support of DC Statehood and urge the Congress to vote in favor of H.R. 51 and reject any Motion to Recommit.
Sincerely,
DC Vote
51 for 51
A Little Piece Of Light
AFGE Local 3354
African American Ministers In Action
Alabama State Association of Cooperatives
Alianza Nacional de Campesinas
Alliance for Justice
American Ethical Union
American Family Voices
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
American Federation of Teachers American
Friends Service Committee
American Postal Workers Union
Anacostia Coordinating Council
Bend the Arc Jewish Action
Black Farmers and Ranchers New Mexico
Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law
Brookland Huddle-for-the-Future
Brookland Neighborhood
Civic Association BYP100 DC
Campaign for Youth Justice Center for American Progress
Center for Disability Rights
Center for Environmental Health
Center for Popular Democracy
CenterLink: The Community of LGBT Centers
Clean Elections Texas
Clean Water Action
Coalition of Labor Union Women
Coalition on Human Needs
Coalition to Stop Gun Violence
Common Cause
Communications Workers of America
Cottage House Inc.,
D.C. Statehood - Yes We Can!
DC Appleseed
DC Democratic State Committee
DC Environmental Network
DC League of Women Voters
DC Statehood Coalition
DC Ward 2 Democrats
Death with Dignity National Center
Declaration for American Democracy
Defending Rights & Dissent
Demand Progress
DemCast USA Democracy 21
Democracy for America Democracy Initiative
DEMOS
Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund (DREDF)
Endangered Species Coalition
Faith Strategies
Farmworker Association of Florida
Food & Friends
Food & Water Watch
Friends Committee on National Legislation
Futures Without Violence
Green Compass
Greenpeace USA
Herd on the Hill
Hip Hop Caucus
Human Rights Campaign
Indivisible
Indivisible Beach Cities
Indivisible Media City Burbank
IndivisibleSF
Jews United for Justice
Justice Policy Institute
Lambda Legal
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
League of Conservation Voters
League of Women Voters of the United States
Let America Vote/End Citizens United Action Fund
March For Our Lives
Metro DC PFLAG
Mississippi Association of Cooperatives
NAACP
NAACP LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATIONAL FUND, INC. (LDF)
National CAPACD
National Coalition for the Homeless
National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC)
National Council of Jewish Women
National Employment Law Project
NATIONAL FAIR HOUSING ALLIANCE
National Federation of Democratic Women
National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund
National Partnership for Women & Families
NATIONAL TREASURY EMPLOYEES UNION
Neighbors United for DC Statehood
NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice
New Progressive Alliance
NOPE Neighbors
Our Maryland
Our Revolution DC
People For the American Way
PFLAG National
Physicians for Reproductive Health
Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington, DC
Pride at Work Public Citizen
Public Justice Center
Rachel Carson Council
Rural Advancement Fund of the National Sharecroppers Fund
Rural Coalition
Santa Cruz Indivisible
SEIU 32BJ
Senior Citizens Matter
Service Employees International Union
Sierra Club
SPLC Action Fund Stand Up America
Stand Up! for Democracy in DC (Free DC)
Students for D.C. Statehood
The Fund for Community Reparations for Autistic People of Color's Interdependence, Survival, and Empowerment
The George Washington University College Democrats
The United Methodist Church - General Board of Church and Society
UFCW Local 400
URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity
Voices for Progress VoteVets
Ward 3 Democrats
Ward 5 Democrats
Ward 8 Democrats Washington Ethical Society
Washington Teachers' Union Workplace Fairness