[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5410 Introduced in House (IH)]
109th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 5410
To provide for the treatment of the District of Columbia as a State for
purposes of representation in the House of Representatives and Senate,
and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 17, 2006
Ms. Norton introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on
Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall
within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide for the treatment of the District of Columbia as a State for
purposes of representation in the House of Representatives and Senate,
and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``No Taxation Without Representation
Act of 2006''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) The residents of the District of Columbia are the only
Americans who pay Federal income taxes and who have fought and
died in every American war but are denied voting representation
in the House of Representatives and the Senate.
(2) The residents of the District of Columbia suffer the
very injustice against which our Founding Fathers fought,
because they do not have voting representation as other
taxpaying Americans do and are nevertheless required to pay
Federal income taxes unlike the Americans who live in the
territories.
(3) The principle of one person, one vote requires that
residents of the District of Columbia are afforded full voting
representation in the House and the Senate.
(4) Despite the denial of voting representation, Americans
in the Nation's Capital are third among residents of all States
in per capita income taxes paid to the Federal Government.
(5) Unequal voting representation in our representative
democracy is inconsistent with the founding principles of the
Nation and the strongly held principles of the American people
today.
SEC. 3. REPRESENTATION IN CONGRESS FOR DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the District of
Columbia shall be treated as a State for the purposes of representation
in the House of Representatives and the Senate.
SEC. 4. ELECTIONS.
(a) First Elections.--
(1) Proclamation.--Not later than 30 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Mayor of the District of Columbia
shall issue a proclamation for elections to be held to fill the
2 Senate seats and the seat in the House of Representatives to
represent the District of Columbia in Congress.
(2) Manner of elections.--The proclamation of the Mayor of
the District of Columbia required by paragraph (1) shall
provide for the holding of a primary election and a general
election and at such elections the officers to be elected shall
be chosen by a popular vote of the residents of the District of
Columbia. The manner in which such elections shall be held and
the qualification of voters shall be the same as those for
local elections, as prescribed by the District of Columbia.
(3) Classification of senators.--In the first election of
Senators from the District of Columbia, the 2 senatorial
offices shall be separately identified and designated, and no
person may be a candidate for both offices. No such
identification or designation of either of the 2 senatorial
offices shall refer to or be taken to refer to the terms of
such offices, or in any way impair the privilege of the Senate
to determine the class to which each of the Senators elected
shall be assigned.
(b) Certification of Election.--The results of an election for the
Senators and Representative from the District of Columbia shall be
certified by the Mayor of the District of Columbia in the manner
required by law and the Senators and Representative shall be entitled
to be admitted to seats in Congress and to all the rights and
privileges of Senators and Representatives of the States in the
Congress of the United States.
SEC. 5. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MEMBERSHIP.
(a) In General.--Upon the date of enactment of this Act, the
District of Columbia shall be entitled to 1 Representative until the
taking effect of the next reapportionment. Such Representative shall be
in addition to the membership of the House of Representatives as now
prescribed by law.
(b) Increase in Membership of House of Representatives.--Upon the
date of enactment of this Act, the permanent membership of the House of
Representatives shall increase by 1 seat for the purpose of future
reapportionment of Representatives.
(c) Reapportionment.--Upon reapportionment, the District of
Columbia shall be entitled to as many seats in the House of
Representatives as a similarly populous State would be entitled to
under the law.
SEC. 6. PROVIDING FOR ELECTIONS FOR HOUSE MEMBERS AND SENATORS FROM
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.
(a) Application of District of Columbia Elections Code of 1955.--
The District of Columbia Elections Code of 1955 is amended as follows:
(1) In section 1 (sec. 1-1001.01, D.C. Official Code), by
striking ``the Delegate to the House of Representatives,'' and
inserting ``the Representative in the Congress, Senator,''.
(2) In section 2 (sec. 1-1001.02, D.C. Official Code)--
(A) by striking paragraph (6); and
(B) in paragraph (13), by striking ``the Delegate
to Congress for the District of Columbia, United States
Senator and Representative,'' and inserting ``the
Representative in the Congress, Senator,''.
(3) In section 8 (sec. 1-1001.08, D.C. Official Code)--
(A) in the heading, by striking ``Delegate'' and
inserting ``Representative, Senator,''; and
(B) by striking ``Delegate,'' each place it appears
in subsections (h)(1)(A), (i)(1), and (j)(1) and
inserting ``Representative in the Congress, Senator,''.
(4) In section 10 (sec. 1-1001.10, D.C. Official Code)--
(A) in subsection (a)(3)(A)--
(i) by striking ``or section 206(d) of the
District of Columbia Delegate Act'', and
(ii) by striking ``the office of Delegate
to the House of Representatives'' and inserting
``the office of Representative in the
Congress'';
(B) in subsection (d)(1), by striking ``Delegate,''
each place it appears;
(C) in subsection (d)(2)--
(i) by striking ``(A) In the event'' and
all that follows through ``term of office,''
and inserting ``In the event that a vacancy
occurs in the office of Representative in the
Congress before May 1 of the last year of the
Representative's term of office,'' and
(ii) by striking subparagraph (B); and
(D) by amending subsection (d)(3) to read as
follows:
``(3) In the event of a vacancy in the office of Senator, the Mayor
shall appoint a successor to complete the remainder of the term of
office.''.
(5) In section 11(a)(2) (sec. 1-1001.11(a)(2), D.C.
Official Code), by striking ``Delegate to the House of
Representatives,'' and inserting ``Representative in the
Congress, Senator,''.
(6) In section 15(b) (sec. 1-1001.15(b), D.C. Official
Code), by striking ``Delegate,'' and inserting ``Representative
in the Congress, Senator,''.
(7) In section 17(a) (sec. 1-1001.17(a), D.C. Official
Code), by striking ``the Delegate to the Congress from the
District of Columbia'' and inserting ``the Representative in
the Congress and Senator''.
(b) Treatment of District of Columbia Delegate.--
(1) Continuation of service.--Until the first
Representative from the District of Columbia is seated in the
House of Representatives, the Delegate in Congress from the
District of Columbia shall continue to discharge the duties of
his or her office.
(2) Repeal of office upon election of first
representative.--Sections 202 and 204 of the District of
Columbia Delegate Act (Public Law 91-405; sections 1-401 and 1-
402, D.C. Official Code) are repealed, and the provisions of
law amended or repealed by such sections are restored or
revived as if such sections had not been enacted.
(c) Effective Date.--Except as provided in section 4(a), the
amendments made by this section shall apply with respect to the
election of the first Representative and Senators from the District of
Columbia pursuant to this Act and each subsequent election of
Representatives and Senators from the District of Columbia pursuant to
this Act.
SEC. 7. REPEAL OF OFFICES OF STATEHOOD REPRESENTATIVE AND SENATOR.
(a) In General.--Section 4 of the District of Columbia Statehood
Constitutional Convention Initiative of 1979 (sec. 1-123, D.C. Official
Code) is amended by striking subsections (d), (e), (f), and (g).
(b) Conforming Amendments.--
(1) Statehood commission.--Section 6 of such Initiative
(sec. 1-125, D.C. Official Code) is amended--
(A) in subsection (a)--
(i) by striking ``27 voting members'' and
inserting ``24 voting members'';
(ii) by adding ``and'' at the end of
paragraph (4); and
(iii) by striking paragraphs (5) and (6)
and redesignating paragraph (7) as paragraph
(5); and
(B) in subsection (a-1)(1), by striking
subparagraphs (F), (G), and (H).
(2) Authorization of appropriations.--Section 8 of such
Initiative (sec. 1-127, D.C. Official Code) is repealed.
(3) Application of honoraria limitations.--Section 4 of
D.C. Law 8-135 (sec. 1-131, D.C. Official Code) is repealed.
(4) Application of campaign finance laws.--Section 3 of the
Statehood Convention Procedural Amendments Act of 1982 (sec. 1-
135, D.C. Official Code) is repealed.
(5) District of columbia elections code of 1955.--Section
2(13) of the District of Columbia Elections Code of 1955 (sec.
1-1001.02(13), D.C. Official Code) is amended by striking
``United States Senator and Representative,''.
(c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall take
effect upon the taking office of the first Representative and Senators
from the District of Columbia pursuant to this Act.
<all>