Nearly 80 percent of Americans do not realize that, as House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-5th MD) put it, "out of all of the world's democracies, there is only one national capital without full voting rights: this city full of monuments to democracy."

Before an Act of Congress moved the nation's capital to DC in 1801, city residents had the right to vote as residents of the states that had donated land to create the District: Maryland and Virginia.  But in 1801, they were disenfranchised, and had to wait over 150 years to even be able to vote for President and Vice President - a right granted in 1961 with the adoption of the 23rd Amendment to the United States Constitution.  The city government has developed since then, but the US Congress still has control over DC funding, and could essentially "veto" DC laws if it desired to do so.  Since 1990, Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) has represented DC in the House of Representatives, but while the people of DC vote on Delegate candidates, Delegates cannot fully participate in floor votes.  (A fact illustrated by Stephen Colbert when he interviewed Delegate Norton.  But don't panic: DC is part of the United States.)

Even though the people of DC pay taxes and serve in the military, they do not have a voice when tax policy is crafted on Capitol Hill, nor do they have voting representation when Congress considers sending them into war or approving the Defense budget.

Today we are closer than ever to righting these wrongs.  During the 110th Congress, the DC House Voting Rights Act passed the House and was just 3 votes shy of overcoming a Senate filibuster.  In the 111th, we hope to see it move swiftly toward the President's desk, and there are signs that it's already well on its way.  This legislation would give DC a full Representative with the same voting power as other House members.

While testifying on H.R. 157, this year's DC House Voting Rights Act, Leader Hoyer asked: just what would one vote be worth?

I ask you: what would your vote be worth if you had been without it for over 200 years?

I imagine your answer would be much the same as Mr. Hoyer's: dignity.

Note: I write today as a Legislative Representative in the Public Policy department at People For the American Way.  From now on you'll hear a lot more from me about legislative advocacy.