Do they have congressmen at all? When they vote for prez, how many votes does DC get in the electoral college? You see what I'm getting at. Please explain.
2006-09-26 20:39:13 · 10 answers · asked by Brianman3 3 in Politics & Government ➔ Government
No, residents of Washington D.C. don't have Senators. They have one member of Congress, who is non-voting (currently Elanor Holmes Norton), who can particpate in debates, but cannot vote.
When they vote for President, they get 3 electoral votes, which is pretty good considering they didn't used to get to vote for President, and they have no Senators, and only one memeber of the House.
I'm assuming that what you're "getting at" has to do with the whole "no taxation without representation" statement that harks back to the Boston Tea Party.
As to the why - it's really hard to tell.
According to the Wikipedia entry on Washington D.C., the creation of a federal city was called for in the Constitution - however, after a quick search, I didn't see anything.
The question is why, after all of the steps that the founding fathers took to seperate us from Great Britian, did they provide for federal city which has no representation.
One thought is that they didn't want to show favoritism to any particular state.
Another thought is that they were concerned about a conflict between a state government and the federal government. Would there be problems between the two. Would the state government pass laws that would affect the members of congress?
You might say - well, they have a city council that governs. Yes they do - but that City Council was brought about by the House (which governs D.C.).
Also, in many ways, the District of Columbia is more similar to a territory rather than a state. However, other territories (Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands) don't get to vote in federal elections, and I don't think they have to pay federal income taxes either.
Interesting question though.
2006-09-26 22:18:39 · answer #1 · answered by Flint 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Monuments and memorials, contemporary neighbourhoods, true local flavor this is what Washington, DC is; a spot unlike some other; just like this page hotelbye . Washington it's your home overseas with free museums and America's top yard. Washington is recognized all over the world as a mark of the United States. Here, the area you cannot skip may be the Capitol. Capitol could be the seat of the House of Representatives and the Senate. The huge dome, on the basis of the dome of St. Peter's in Rome, stands out above all different Washington buildings. Like Washington it self, the making has grown through the years because the main portion was developed between 1793 and 1812. The last supplement, in 1958-62, enlarged the key façade wherever presidents get the oath. On the other part, a marble terrace presents lovely opinions over the mall and the city. The interior is resplendent with frescoes, reliefs, and paintings, especially the rotunda under the good cast-iron dome with a threshold painting by Constantino Brumidi and enormous paintings of moments from American history on the walls.
2016-12-23 02:18:42 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Citizens of the District have no voting representation in Congress. They are represented in the House of Representatives by a non-voting delegate (currently Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC At-Large)) who sits on committees and participates in debate but cannot vote. D.C. has no representation at all in the Senate. Attempts to change this situation, including the proposed District of Columbia Voting Rights Amendment, have been unsuccessful.
2006-09-26 20:48:46 · answer #3 · answered by drunksage 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Does Washington Dc Have Senators
2017-01-16 03:54:09 · answer #4 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They have no senators or congressmen because they are the seat of power, and by design are not a state. Can you see the problem if they are granted statehood? DC is the center of the free world. Let that sink in. Now imagine if that center was no longer (at least in theory) unbiased.
DC is a *city*, not a state. One proposal has been to let its residents vote with Maryland. Whether that's a valid solution or not, it's certainly better than giving a city of half a million people two seats in the Senate.
2006-09-26 20:48:34 · answer #5 · answered by ? 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
dc residents ( lived there 79-91) have no senators. they have a delegate in the house who can vote in committee but not on the floor. same as puerto rico and american samoa.. dc has 3 votes in the electoral college.
2006-09-26 20:51:11 · answer #6 · answered by arkie 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The sad truth is, it doesn't really matter anyhow. The residents of D.C. are too stupid to deserve to be able to vote.
For example, Marion Barry served as Democratic mayor of Washington, D.C. from 1979 to 1991. His arrest in 1990 on drug charges precluded him from seeking reelection that year. After his conviction on drug charges, Barry served 6 months in prison, but was elected to the D.C. council in 1992 and ultimately to the mayoralty in 1994, serving a fourth term from 1995 to 1999. Today, Barry serves on the Council of the District of Columbia, representing Ward Eight, which comprises Anacostia and Congress Heights. He is also serving three years probation for misdemeanor charges of failing to pay federal and local taxes, and continues to receive drug counseling after testing positive for cocaine and marijuana in October 2005
2006-09-26 20:44:17 · answer #7 · answered by robertbdiver 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
they get 3 votes due to their population
don't know about congressmen, though I do not think so.
2006-09-26 20:49:45 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Senators? They should be glad we let them live there.
2006-09-26 20:52:08 · answer #9 · answered by Colorado 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
district of columbia
2006-09-26 20:53:37 · answer #10 · answered by bev 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋