H 3178 Resolution, By King and Cobb-Hunter
 A HOUSE RESOLUTION TO MEMORIALIZE THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES TO ENACT
 LEGISLATION GRANTING FULL DEMOCRACY AND STATEHOOD FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
 THAT WILL GUARANTEE TO THE RESIDENTS OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA FULL
 CONGRESSIONAL VOTING REPRESENTATION, BUDGET AUTONOMY, AND ALL OF THE RIGHTS
 THAT THE PEOPLE OF THE FIFTY UNITED STATES ENJOY.

   12/18/12  House  Prefiled
   12/18/12  House  Referred to Committee on Invitations and Memorial
                     Resolutions
   01/08/13  House  Introduced (House Journal-page 21)
   01/08/13  House  Referred to Committee on Invitations and Memorial
                     Resolutions (House Journal-page 21)
   01/15/13  House  Committee report: Favorable Invitations and
                     Memorial Resolutions (House Journal-page 2)
   01/16/13         Scrivener's error corrected
   01/16/13         Scrivener's error corrected
   01/16/13  House  Debate adjourned until Tues., 1-21-13
                     (House Journal-page 24)
   01/23/13  House  Debate adjourned until Thur., 1-24-13
                     (House Journal-page 19)
   01/24/13  House  Committed to Committee on Judiciary
                     (House Journal-page 17)

COMMITTEE REPORT

January 15, 2013

H. 3178

S. Printed 1/15/13--H.    [SEC 1/16/13 2:53 PM]

Read the first time January 8, 2013.

To whom was referred a House Resolution (H. 3178) to memorialize the Congress of the United States to enact legislation granting full democracy and statehood for the District of Columbia that will guarantee to the residents, etc., respectfully

That they have duly and carefully considered the same and recommend that the same do pass:

LISTON D. BARFIELD for Committee.

A HOUSE RESOLUTION

TO MEMORIALIZE THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES TO ENACT LEGISLATION GRANTING FULL DEMOCRACY AND STATEHOOD FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA THAT WILL GUARANTEE TO THE RESIDENTS OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA FULL CONGRESSIONAL VOTING REPRESENTATION, BUDGET AUTONOMY, AND ALL OF THE RIGHTS THAT THE PEOPLE OF THE FIFTY UNITED STATES ENJOY.

Whereas, the United States Constitution that was ratified in 1788 provided the right to vote for representation in Congress to the "People living" in the several states of the United States, and included citizens of the several states as well as those living on the land that would later be designated by the federal government for the nation's capital as ceded by Maryland and Virginia to become the District of Columbia; and

Whereas, through the enactment of the "District of Columbia Organic Act of 1801" residents of the District of Columbia (DC) were disenfranchised from voting for representative Members of Congress for 210 years; and

Whereas, DC residents pay among the highest per capita federal taxes in the nation and more than 200,000 residents have served in the federal armed services, and yet DC residents have no vote in the United States Congress; and

Whereas, no other nation in the world denies the right of self-government, including participation in its national legislature, to the residents of its capital; and

Whereas, the residents of the District of Columbia lack full democracy, equality, and citizenship enjoyed by the residents of the fifty states; and

Whereas, the new House majority began the 112th Congress by stripping DC Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton of a vote in the Committee of the Whole, and implementing new legislation trampling on DC Home Rule including overriding a Congressional and local compromise on private school vouchers for DC; and

Whereas, on January 12, 2011, DC Delegate Norton introduced three bills on attaining self-governance for the District of Columbia: the New Columbia Admission Act providing for statehood for DC, the DC Equal Representation Act allowing DC both House and Senate seats, and the DC House Voting Rights Act providing DC a House vote; and

Whereas, on January 19, 2011, DC Delegate Norton introduced the DC Budget Autonomy Act of 2011 to allow the DC budget of local taxpayer-raised funds to become law without Congressional approval, recognizing that while the District of Columbia has timely passed a balanced budget for each of the last sixteen years, the District of Columbia has faced the possibility of being shut down each year because of Congressional deliberations over the federal budget and the imposition of riders opposed by the District of Columbia; and

Whereas, the residents of the District of Columbia have endorsed statehood for the District of Columbia, and have been pressing for Congressional voting rights and budget autonomy. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives:

That the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives, by this resolution, respectfully memorialize Congress to enact legislation granting full democracy and statehood for the District of Columbia that will guarantee to the residents of the District of Columbia full Congressional voting representation, budget autonomy, and all of the rights that the people of the fifty United States enjoy.

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to the South Carolina Congressional Delegation.