NCJW Deeply Disappointed at Defeat of DC Voting Rights

September 19, 2007, Washington, DC -- The National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) today expressed its deep disappointment in the vote in the Senate yesterday that blocked efforts to give residents of the District of Columbia a voting representative in the House of Representatives. NCJW President Phyllis Snyder released the following statement:

"The defeat in the US Senate of a procedural motion to allow debate on giving the District of Columbia a vote in the House of Representatives is deeply disappointing. The defeat effectively blocks consideration of this matter for this session of Congress. It is unconscionable that residents of our capital city, who pay federal taxes and serve in the military, have no voting representation in the body that makes our nation's laws, including those governing the city itself.

"The US stands alone in denying the residents of its capital a vote in its national legislature. It sends a terrible message, not only to the residents of the District, but to the world about our lack of commitment to democracy at home. NCJW pledges to continue working with our many allies, including a majority of the US Senate, until this injustice is rectified."

NCJW is a volunteer organization, inspired by Jewish values, that works to improve the quality of life for women, children, and families and to ensure individual rights and freedoms for all through its network of 90,000 members, supporters, and volunteers nationwide.

Contact:
Debbie Stillman
202 296 2588 x2; debbie@ncjwdc.org