Please could someone explain the set up in DC regarding voting rights and representation of the City at National level.
I read that it has an EV of 3, but has no Senators, and one Delegate in Congress with no voting powers. Whats the point of having someone in the House with no voting powers...they can argue and listen but still have no influence voting wise on the outcome of issues.
Maybe its me not fully comprehending the way DC its set up, but I'd be obliged if anyone could explain further.
The USA is a federal union, where sovereign states have conceded some of their powers to the central government. Under the Articles of Confederation, it was know as 'United States of American in Congress Assembled', that is, they had come together to meet and act collectively on certain matters. This wasn't always working out, which led to the Constitution being written, which gave more powers to the federal government and would result in some sort of permanent government establishment, rather than simply a meeting place for the Congress. The authors of the Constitution were concerned that the federal government would be subject to the control or undue influence of whichever state the capital was located in.
So, the Constitution provided that a capital district could be formed from land granted to the federal government, in which the federal government would exercise control. That is, it was more than simply giving property so that some buildings could be built. Maryland and Virginia donated the land for the District of Columbia (if you look at a map of DC, you'll see it forms a square at a 45 degree angle, with the southwest edge lopped off. Originally the part that is lopped off, southwest of the Potomac was part of the district. It was retroceded to Virginia in 1846.
Congress has responsiblity for the District, and for a long time it did not have a local council or mayor.
Congress itself represents the interests of the States. There are two Senators from each State (who were originally elected by the State legislature), and the House or Representatives, elected by the people of the States. Since DC is not a State it is not represented in Congress (and until 1961 did not have electoral votes).
The residents of the District are mostly black, and during the civil rights movement and de-colonialization movements of the 1950s and 1960s it became an issue that the people in the capital of the republic could not participate in their own local government, nor the government of their country. This led to passage of 22nd Amendment in 1961 which granted the District the right to choose appoint 3 presidential electors (note that the Congress itself acts in the role of a State legislature for this purpose, and could appoint the 3 electors, rather than let the people vote). In addition, more local government authority has been given to the residents of the district who elect a city council and mayor. In 1978 an Amendment to the Constitution was proposed that would let DC be treated as a State for purposes of representation in Congress, election of the President, and Amending the Constitution. It failed to achieve the required number of ratifications in the alloted 7 years.
In part as a result of not having Congressional representation, Congress has granted delegate status to representatives of the District and of the other territories (Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, Guam, Northern Marianas, and American Samoa). Congress can't give them full voting authority (the Constitution dictates the composition of the Congress, and if their vote resulted in the Congress exercising its authority in a particular way, it could call into question the Congress's action). But the Congress can write its own rules of procedure, and have written in a role for Delegates. At one time they could vote, but not on final passage of legislation. It was sort of a case that they could vote as long as it didn't count.
