Washington, D.C. — Following the introduction of S.51, the Washington, D.C. Admission Act, in the Senate today, the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) issued the following statement from Judiciary Program Director Ben Driscoll:

“We applaud Senator Carper and Senate Democrats for stepping up and prioritizing the fair and equal representation in the federal government for taxpayers living in our nation’s capital. DC residents of color are disproportionately impacted by toxic pollution — yet don’t have the constitutional right to make their voices heard when demanding bold climate action.  And when an angry mob of insurrectionists and white supremacists mounted an attack on the Capitol, DC officials lacked the authority to control their own national guard, relying on permission from the same person who had incited the riots. This is unacceptable and it must end. 

“Congress must act now to give power to the people and enact DC statehood into law. We have full confidence that Speaker Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer will work to make this critical piece of democracy reform a reality.”

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