WHEREAS:

The 670,000 residents of the District of Columbia, which is more populous than the states of Wyoming and Vermont, have no Senators and no voting member in the House of Representatives; and

WHEREAS:

Over 8,000 AFSCME members both current and retired as well as their families are among these disenfranchised citizens that work and pay their taxes just like any other American; and

WHEREAS:

District of Columbia residents pay among the highest per capita federal taxes in the nation, coining the phrase "Taxation without Representation" and more than 200,000 D.C. residents have served in the federal armed services protecting our country from foreign and domestic individuals that have sought to do our country harm; and

WHEREAS:

Congress repeatedly interferes with the District of Columbia's limited self-government by enacting laws on how the District of Columbia spends its locally raised tax revenue, including barring the usage of locally raised revenue; and

WHEREAS:

The District of Columbia has timely passed a balanced budget for each of the last 20 years, it still faces the possibility of being shut down yearly because of Congressional deliberations over the federal budget; and

WHEREAS:

The residents of the District of Columbia have endorsed statehood for the District of Columbia, and passed a District-wide referendum on budget autonomy.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:

That AFSCME calls upon the President of the United States and the Congress to approve federal legislation that will provide the residents of the District of Columbia with the same rights to self­ government enjoyed by other Americans including local budget autonomy, legislative autonomy and statehood.

SUBMITTED BY: Andrew D. Washington, Executive Director and Delegate

AFSCME Council 20

Corey Upchurch, President and Delegate

LaTonya Graham, Recording Secretary and Delegate

AFSCME Local 1959, Council 20

District of Columbia