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High Court Rejects D.C. Bid for Vote in Congress

2000

The U.S. Supreme Court says that District of Columbia residents do not have a constitutional right to a voting representative in Congress. Without giving the issue a full hearing, the justices affirmed an earlier decision by a special three-judge panel. Dozens of prominent plaintiffs contended that the District’s 519,000 residents should have the same rights as citizens in the 50 states to choose voting members of Congress. The District has an elected delegate who can vote on House committees but not on the House floor.