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Senators Lieberman and Hatch and Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton and Mayor Adrian Fenty speak to the press after the Senate passage of the DC Voting Rights Bill on Thursday. Photo courtesy lieberman.senate.gov.
Below are some of the official statements we've received from D.C. and federal government leaders reacting to yesterday's Senate passage of S.160, the D.C. House Voting Rights Act.
D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty:
"Today's Senate vote is a historic breakthrough in the District of Columbia’s 200-year-old fight for full voting rights. On behalf of District residents across the city, I wish to express thanks to the U. S. Senate, particularly Senators Joseph Lieberman, Harry Reid and Orrin Hatch for their tremendous support and leadership. Since the bill is not final, my Administration will continue to work with both the Senate and House leadership to ensure the bill reflects the priorities of District residents and is passed in final form as swiftly as humanly possible."
D.C. Council Chair Vincent Gray:
“I am pleased the Senate has given the residents of the District of Columbia another victory today in passing the D.C. House Voting Rights Act by a vote of 61 to 37. However, I am disappointed that the bill was passed with a dangerous amendment to repeal most of the city’s gun laws.
“After the Heller Supreme Court case, the Council in collaboration with the Executive immediately crafted a comprehensive gun law that met the requirements of the court decision while attempting to preserve the safety and well being of our residents. Unfortunately, our efforts are facing a setback—albeit—hopefully, a temporary one.
“We are confident and hopeful, that as the vote bill makes its way through House and conference committee consideration, this unrelated and unnecessary amendment will be dropped. Not only in the name of protecting D.C. citizens, but also in the spirit of home rule that dictates representatives, duly elected by voters of the District of Columbia, have the democratic right to make laws in the best interest of the residents they serve, just like lawmakers in every other American jurisdiction.
“For now, we are delighted that the District of Columbia is one step closer to ending taxation without representation!”
D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton:
“When this bill becomes law shortly, it will mark the first time since the city was established that the Congress shall have conferred voting rights on the residents of the District of Columbia by act of Congress.
“Perhaps there is some symbolism in the fact that while I was at a meeting at the White House with President Barack Obama and the Congressional Black Caucus today, I got an urgent message to come to the Senate Floor for passage of the D.C. House Voting Rights Act. As I left the meeting, I told President Obama that our voting rights bill would soon be coming to his desk.
“The toughest part of this bill was accomplished today in the Senate with a 61-vote victory. Yet, there were tough anti-home rule battles today, and we are ready for the tough battles ahead. Winning in the Senate was a lot like winning the lottery - and then some. The Senate was the hardest House. However, we owe this victory to Sen. Joe Lieberman and Sen. Orrin Hatch, and to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), and we thank them each for their truly superb accomplishment today, an accomplishment of the leadership and the bill’s co-sponsors that many thought were impossible. S.160 that passed today was Joe’s work and Orrin’s work. They are the true heroes of this classically bi-partisan bill. Sen. Orrin Hatch has stood on principle throughout this long struggle, and when Orrin Hatch embraces a principle he will not stand down from that principle, and he does not let you down. Joe Lieberman has been the tirelessly dedicated Senate sponsor of every attempt I have made to achieve our rights since coming to Congress. Joe brilliantly managed this bill for a full week, explaining it so deftly that those watching on C-Span must have wondered, ‘What’s to be against here?’ ‘Heroic’ is not too lofty a word to describe what it takes to get a bill through the Senate, even a non-controversial bill - and in the case of our voting rights bill - one that should not have been controversial, but was.
“Today is only the first day of the city’s voting rights celebration. We celebrate this bill by making this prediction: The bill will pass the House as soon as next week, it will go to conference for adjustments, and it will become law. Let the celebration begin.”
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer:
“With Senate passage of the DC House Voting Rights Act, a primary obstacle standing in the way of DC residents and their vote in the House has been removed. I am confident that we have the votes in the House to pass Congresswoman Norton’s legislation and look forward to holding a vote next week.”
Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.)
"This is a moment of joy and progress. Finally, the citizens who live in the capital of the free world will have the right to exercise the most basic freedom - the right to choose who governs them. This historic vote is another step on our long march to make our democracy ever more inclusive. I thank my friend, Senator Hatch, for his principled and steadfast support of this bill. His commitment to join in this historic change puts him up there with other great Republican Senators, like Everett Dirksen, who worked with Democratic President Lyndon Johnson to pass the Voting Rights Act of 1964. I also want to thank Senator Reid for his unwavering support and assistance in passing this bill."
Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Ut.)
"Participating in the election of those who govern us is at the heart of our American system of self-government. It is a right for which generations of Americans have fought and died to preserve. So I'm pleased with the passage of this historic legislation that will ensure that my home state of Utah and residents of the District of Columbia get the representation in the House that they require and so richly deserve. And I commend my esteemed colleague, Senator Lieberman, for his leadership and foresight on this issue."
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"After the Heller Supreme Court case, the Council in collaboration with the Executive immediately crafted a comprehensive gun law that met the requirements of the court decision while attempting to preserve the safety and well being of our residents."
AHAHAHAHAHA! Stop! You're f**king KILLING ME!
what, no reaction from Davy DCist?
Vincent Gray for Mayor!
Actually, EHN and Fenty are playing this right. Don't mention the gun amendment, it will just piss people off and draw attention to it. Work it behind the scenes. I also think that they are trying to downplay it, so they will be remembered as the ones that brought the vote in instead of the ones who derailed it.
I don't understand why everyone is so damn happy about this. It's illegal unless it's a constitutional amendment.
Half of the bills that Congress passes are unconstitutional. The simple fact of being unconstitutional does not itself inhibit a bill from taking effect. It needs to be struck down in a court challenge, and that requires more than simple unconstitutionality