Unconstitutional DC Voting Rights Bill to be Debated in the Senate

 The United States Senate took the next step in allowing the residents of Washington DC to have representation in the House of Representatives. They voted to allow debate on the floor on a bill that would give the District of Columbia a congressman.

 To tell you the truth I do not feel passionately one way or the other about whether DC residents should have a voice in congress, but the one thing that I do feel passionate about is the constitution. And it is the constitution that is currently prohibiting DC residents from having representation. Article 1 Section 2 states that “The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States.” Needless to say, Washington DC is not a state and under the constitution is not eligible for a representative in congress.

   If it is believed that Washington DC should have representation in congress than there is a procedure in the constitution that enables the constitution to be amended. Passing a bill to allow a change in the constitution is not the way the constitution is supposed to be changed. If the politicians want to amend the constitution than they need to introduce an amendment and let the states vote on it. If 38 states vote in favor of sending a representative to congress to represent Washington DC residents than DC will be represented, if they do not, they won’t be.

 Initially under the constitution Washington DC residents did not even have a vote for president. That changed in 1961 when a constitutional amendment, the 23rd amendment, was voted on by the states and passed. That is the proper procedure, and that is the procedure that should be followed in this instance. Passing a bill to change the constitution is unconstitutional in itself.

 We have already seen how this president feels about the constitution and now we are seeing that the senate must feel the same way also. As I wrote earlier I don’t feel passionately either way on this legislation other than the fact that I want to constitution to be obeyed and this bill is not the proper way to get the residents of Washington DC a representative in congress. This method is unconstitutional.

   If you feel that the residents of Washington DC should have representation that is fine but congress should still have to play by the rules. The constitution is the supreme law of the land, the end doesn’t justify the means. There is a procedure that needs to be followed and regardless of what the politicians think should be the result we the people are supposed to have the final say on a change to the constitution.

 When we lose our vote we lose everything.