The debate over voting rights for the District’s delegate in Congress is bubbling up at the very beginning of the 110th Congress. Under the newly minted Democratic-controlled Congress, it seems we here in Washington are closer than ever to obtaining full-fledged representation in the House of Representatives.

This morning at the ceremonial swearing-in of the Congressional Black Caucus, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi specifically mentioned D.C. voting rights in her remarks, prompting a standing ovation from Caucus members and emphatic thank-you kisses blown from Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton to the Speaker. Pelosi, after praising both new and old members of the caucus, said, “I want you to have my personal assurance that it just simply isn’t right that the District of Columbia, with 700 people, does not have a vote in the Congress. And we will work to make that possible.” Presumably Pelosi meant 700,000 people—which is about 150,000 too high—but we’ll take it anyway. Maybe she was also counting Arlington County, which we’d be only too happy to take back.

Legislation to confer voting rights to the District delegate has not been introduced, but Norton and Virginia Republican Tom Davis have promised to reintroduce the Fair and Equal House Voting Rights Act—the proposal that will also add a representative from Utah—early this year. Should we take odds on passage in 2007? Will the President bust out his veto pen if it makes it through? Let us know what you think.

Capitol photo from puckles.