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