[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 138 (Tuesday, September 18, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11615-S11616]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  DC VOTING RIGHTS AND COLLEGE ACCESS

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, let me also say this about the remarks I am 
about to give. This has no negative reflection on my distinguished 
colleague, the Senator from Kentucky. He and I disagree on a number of 
issues. We have had longstanding debates here on the Senate floor about 
how he feels about campaign finance reform. He approaches this on an 
intellectual basis. I think I am right; he thinks he is right. But it 
doesn't take away from my respect for his having the right to have an 
opinion here in the Senate about the issue of campaign finance. The 
same, I think, on the issue of flag burning, for example. He will 
disagree with me on the DC Voting Rights bill. That is his privilege. 
He does it on an intellectual basis, a conclusion that he has reached. 
So my remarks have nothing to do, in any way, with an intention to 
denigrate my friend's feelings about this bill.

[[Page S11616]]

  Yesterday we celebrated the 220th anniversary of the signing of our 
Constitution, and I talked about it yesterday. In its preamble, our 
Founders laid out the values to which our Nation has aspired: justice, 
domestic tranquility, common defense, general welfare, the blessings of 
liberty. The Government which has endured, our Government, and served 
us so well, recognized these goals could only be secured by equal 
representation. That means the right to vote, the right to elect 
individuals who will protect and promote our personal rights as well as 
the national interest.
  The universal right to vote was established a long time ago with the 
15th amendment, which barred discrimination based on race, with the 
19th amendment, which guaranteed the right for women to vote, and with 
the Voting Rights Act, which ensured enforcement of these laws for 
people no matter their color.

  In 1873, Susan B. Anthony faced trial for voting illegally, a woman 
who voted. In her defense she said:

       In the first paragraph of the Declaration of Independence 
     is an assertion of the natural right of all to the ballot; 
     for how can ``the consent of the governed'' be given, if the 
     right to vote be denied?

  Today the right to equal representation is still denied to residents 
of the District of Columbia. These nearly 600,000 Americans pay Federal 
taxes, sit on juries, serve in our Armed Forces. Yet they are given 
only a delegate in the Congress, not a real voting Member. This is 
nothing more than shadow representation. This injustice has stood for 
far too long. We haven't voted on this matter for some 50 years. It is 
time we did that again. Shadow representation is shadow citizenship.
  This afternoon we will move to vote on a bill that honors the 
residents of the District who responsibly meet every single expectation 
of American citizenship but are denied this basic civil right in 
return. I commend Senator Lieberman, who has taken the leadership on 
this issue for no reason or agenda other than he thinks it is the right 
thing to do.
  I urge all my colleagues to vote for cloture so we can guarantee the 
full rights of citizenship for District residents.
  I also urge my colleagues to support reauthorization of the DC 
College Access Act, which we will vote on this morning. This provides 
to District students who would otherwise be unfairly disadvantaged by 
the lack of in-State universities. It provides scholarships to make up 
the difference between in-State and out-of-State public universities. 
It doesn't allow any student to get in who is not qualified. It does 
allow a differential in the method of paying. The DC College Access Act 
levels the playing field and unlocks the doors to education and all the 
opportunity it affords to thousands of American students right here in 
the District of Columbia.

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