This House resolution, introduced May 19, 2026 and sponsored by Representative Eleanor Norton, recognizes on Memorial Day, May 25, 2026, that active duty servicemembers, National Guard members, reservists, veterans, and their families who live in the District of Columbia are denied voting representation in Congress and full local self-government through statehood. The resolution states that District residents have earned voting representation in the House and Senate and full local self-government. It also says the House recognizes these residents deserve passage of the Washington, D.C. Admission Act. The resolution text cites about 30,000 veterans living in the District and lists casualty totals from World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. It notes H.R. 51 and S. 51 (the Washington, D.C. Admission Act) have 207 cosponsors in the House and 43 in the Senate. The resolution was referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and is listed as in progress.
The resolution is a formal statement by the House that calls attention to the lack of voting representation and supports passage of the Washington, D.C. Admission Act for residents who are servicemembers, veterans, and their families. It declares that those residents have earned voting representation and full local self-government. The resolution itself does not include language changing representation; it expresses the House's recognition and position.
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Supporters say the service and sacrifice of active duty servicemembers, National Guard members, reservists, veterans, and their families justify voting representation and statehood. The resolution cites large numbers of District residents who served in wars, casualty counts from several wars, nearly 200,000 District residents who have served in the military since World War I, and the claim that District residents have earned voting representation. Supporters also point to the existing cosponsors for the Washington, D.C. Admission Act in both chambers.
No publicly available information.