Norton Announces More Than 100 National Advocacy Groups Have Endorsed H.R. 51 Ahead of Historic Statehood Hearing

WASHINGTON, D.C. – One day before the historic hearing on statehood for the District of Columbia, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) announced today that 104 national advocacy groups have endorsed H.R. 51, the Washington, D.C. Admission Act. As some of the largest national organizations in the United States, including Common Cause, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, the American Civil Liberties Union, and the Sierra Club, their endorsements carry particular weight. Norton said the organizations will be important to the fight for D.C. statehood as the bill moves to the House floor and on to the Senate. H.R. 51 currently has 216 voting cosponsors in the House and the Senate version of the bill, introduced by Senator Tom Carper (D-DE), has 33 cosponsors.

"This Congress, we have built more momentum for D.C. statehood than at any point in our 218 years as the nation's capital," Norton said. "These national groups have impressive track records in helping to enact important legislation and their help will both strengthen and widen our reach to the millions of Americans who do not yet know that our residents do not have the same rights they do. We deeply appreciate these organizations and are pleased that more like them are stepping forward each week."

"Democracy works best when everyone can participate and has full representation," said Marilyn Carpinteyro, Vice President of Program and Strategy of Common Cause. "For far too long, the people of Washington, DC have been living without real representation and equal opportunities to participate in our government. It's past time for Washington, DC to be treated equally, and we applaud Congresswoman Norton for fighting to ensure that the voices of all Washingtonians can be heard."

"The right to vote is meaningless if you can't use it to put anyone into office who represents you," said Rob Randhava, Senior Counsel at the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. "Until DC residents have a vote in Congress, the efforts of the civil rights movement – to give people the right to vote, to have that vote counted, and to have that vote really count for something – will remain incomplete. And that's why DC statehood is so important."

"Washington D.C. is one of the last colonies of the United States in the very seat of our federal government," said Monica Hopkins, Executive Director, ACLU of the District of Columbia on behalf of the ACLU. "It is deeply ironic that the people who reside in our nation's capital, a symbol of American freedom and democracy throughout the world, lack full representation and self-government. These rights are the foundation of our democracy. We hope all Americans will recognize this decades-old injustice and urge their members of Congress to support D.C. statehood."

"The Sierra Club and our more than 10,000 DC members and supporters and 3.5 million members and supporters nationwide are proud to join with Congresswoman Norton and our allies to show up for DC," said Kirin Kennedy, Sierra Club Deputy Legislative Director. "DC residents deserve equal representation in Congress and the ability to elect representatives with full voting power who can stand up to corporate polluters and protect the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the families that call this city home."

A full list of the organizations is below.

ENDORSERS OF THE WASHINGTON, D.C. ADMISSION ACT

National Organizations

ACLU

Advocates for Youth

AFGE

AFL-CIO

AIDS United

Alliance for Justice

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc.

American Association for Justice

American Association of University Women

American Ethical Union

American Federation of Teachers

Americans for Democratic Action

Bend the Arc

Brady

California League of Conservation Voters

Campaign Legal Center

Catholics for Choice

Center for Biological Diversity

Center for Environmental Health

Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP)

Center for Study of Responsive Law

Citizens For Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW)

Clean Water Action

Coalition to Stop Gun Violence

Common Cause

Communications Workers of America

Conference of Major Superiors of Men

CREDO

DC Vote

Demand Justice

Demand Progress

Democracy 21

Democracy for America

Demos

Drug Policy Alliance

End Citizens United Action Fund

Food & Water Watch

Free Speech For People

Friends Committee on National Legislation

Friends of the Earth

Greenpeace US

Human Rights Campaign

In Our Own Voice

Indivisible

International Assoc. of Machinists & Aerospace Workers

Jews United for Justice

Just Foreign Policy

Lambda Legal

Lawyers' Committee

Leadership Conference on Civil & Human Rights

League of Conservation Voters

League of Women Voters of the United States

Let America Vote

March For Our Lives

MAYDAY America

MomsRising

MoveOn

NAACP

NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc.

NARAL Pro-Choice America

National Abortion Federation

National Action Network

National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association

National Center for Lesbian Rights

National Community Reinvestment Coalition

National Congress of Black Women

National Council of Jewish Women

National Education Association

National Employment Law Project

National Fair Housing Alliance

National Federation of Democratic Women

National LGBT Chamber of Commerce

National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund

National Partnership for Women and Families

National Urban League

National Women's Law Center

NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice

New Progressive Alliance

NOPE Neighbors

NORML

NTEU

People Demanding Action

People for the American Way

Physicians for Reproductive Health

Physicians for Social Responsibility

Planned Parenthood Federation of America

Pride at Work

Progressive Democrats of America

Psychologists for Social Responsibility

Public Citizen

Public Justice Center

SEIU

Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS)

Sierra Club

Small Planet Institute

Stand Up America

The Democracy Initiative

The Democratic Coalition

The National Black Law Students Association

Union of Concerned Scientists

Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity (URGE)

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D.C. Organizations

ACLU-DC

Anacostia Coordinating Council

Apartment & Office Building Association of Metropolitan Washington

DC Appleseed

DC Chamber of Commerce

DC Hospital Association

D.C. Marijuana Justice

D.C. Statehood – Yes We Can!

DC Working Families

District of Columbia Building Industry Association

Federal City Council

Greater Washington Board of Trade

Greater Washington Urban League

Hotel Association of Washington, D.C.

League of Women Voters of the District of Columbia

March For Our Lives DC

Neighbors United for DC Statehood

Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington

Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington

Stand Up! for Democracy in DC (Free DC)

Students for D.C. Statehood

The D.C. Statehood Coalition

Washington Ethical Society