No Vote for D.C. After Failure in Senate to Secure 60 Votes

Supporters of the D.C. vote bill have failed to secure the necessary 60 votes to move the measure to the floor for a vote. They appear to have come within three votes of their goal. That will likely delay and new vote for months. It is not a happy moment for those of us who opposed the bill. While I testified four times in Congress against the measure, I support a vote for the district either through constitutional amendment or retrocession. Click here for prior testimony. I only wish that advocates would turn to a constitutional option in seeking this worthy goal. Even if the sponsors had been successful today, the legislation would have faced not only a presidential veto but an inevitable legal challenge. Sen. Warner proposed an amendment that would have allowed a vote by the American people in the fashion envisioned by the Framers. Yet, this appears to be a case of path dependence where advocates are so committed to this ill-chosen course that they refuse to consider such wiser alternatives.