MAKE D.C. A STATE & REMOVE THE SCAR ON DEMOCRACY’S CAPITOL

Jump to today’s actions:

Call the Senate
Call the House

Background

The right to vote for people who will fight for us in Congress is the inheritance of all Americans . . .

. . . except for the 706,000 residents of Washington, DC. They have been denied that core inheritance.

This scar on democracy is a symbol of America's enduring racism.

In the 1870s, white Congressmen, anxious about what they called DC’s growing “negro problem,” stripped Washingtonians of the right to vote. Not until 1961 were DC citizens allowed to vote for president.

Also, while permitted to elect local leaders, DC self-government is a sham. If Congress dislikes DC’s decisions, they can and strike them down. DC doesn’t even control its own national guard, which exacerbated the January 6 insurrection.

Now, at this dawn of a new Progressive era, it is a moral imperative to extend full civil rights to all Americans. A start to right this wrong begins with a vote scheduled next week in the House to make DC a state.

Republicans howl it's a “power grab.” Actually, Republicans fear shifting the dynamic from sparsely populated majority-white states with a largely Black state that will likely elect more Democrats.

This is one more fight to save democracy. Call your MoCs and demand DC statehood.

1. Call the Senate.

Script Oregon Senators

SEN. MERKLEY: Portland office: 503-326-3386 | D.C. office: 202-224-3753

My name is [--] and I'm a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

I support statehood for DC, and I want to thank the Senator for his support on this issue as well. I ask the Senator to help fix a historic and racist wrong by making DC a state.

SEN. WYDEN: Portland office: 503-326-7525 | D.C. office: 202-224-5244

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

I support statehood for DC and I want to thank the Senator for his support on this issue as well. I ask the Senator to help fix a historic and racist wrong by making DC a state.

Script for Republican Senators

D.C switchboard: 202-224-3121

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], [state], [zip code].

I support DC statehood because it is the right of every American to be able to vote for people they want to represent them in Congress. This is not a power grab but the extension of civil rights to people denied those rights simply because of where they live. Please rise above party politics and support this issue.

2. Call the House.

Look up your rep.

Script for Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01)

Oregon office: 503-469-6010 | DC office: 202-225-0855

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

I support statehood for DC and I want to thank the Representation for his/her support on this issue as well. I ask that you help fix a historic and racist wrong by voting for the Washington, DC Admissions Act.

Script for Cliff Bentz (OR-02)

Medford office: 541-776-4646 | DC office: 202-225-6730

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

I support DC statehood because it is the right of every American to be able to vote for people they want to represent them in Congress. This is not a power grab but the extension of civil rights to people denied those rights simply because of where they live. Please rise above party politics and vote for the Washington, DC Admissions Act.

Script for Earl Blumenauer (OR-03)

Oregon office: 503-231-2300 | DC office: 202-225-4811

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

I support statehood for DC and I want to thank the Representation for his/her support on this issue as well. I ask that you help fix a historic and racist wrong by voting for the Washington, DC Admissions Act.

Script for Peter DeFazio (OR-04)

Eugene office: 541-465-6732 | DC office: 202-225-6416

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

I support statehood for DC and I want to thank the Representation for his/her support on this issue as well. I ask that you help fix a historic and racist wrong by voting for the Washington, DC Admissions Act.

Script for Kurt Schrader (OR-05)

Salem office: 503-588-9100 | DC office: 202-225-5711

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

I support statehood for DC and I want to thank the Representation for his/her support on this issue as well. I ask that you help fix a historic and racist wrong by voting for the Washington, DC Admissions Act.

Action 3 - Expand Indivisible Oregon’s reach

Want to help us expand our reach? Send the link to our Daily Actions at www.indivisibleor.org to friends and family with GOP Senators and/or Congress people and ask them to make calls. They can use Rep. Bentz's scripts for their GOP representatives.