The U.S. Senate was designed by the Founding Fathers to ensure thorough deliberation of the important issues facing the country. The Senate is known for its lengthy debates on the issues of the day.

So, it was puzzling and disturbing several days ago when the Senate took up an important voting rights legislation, the DC House Voting Rights Act, and with virtually no debate, cut off consideration of the bill. The bill would give the citizens of the District Columbia voting representation in the U.S. House of Representative. As Senator Orrin Hatch said, “My gosh, when has the Senate been afraid to debate a constitutional issue as important as this one?”

Why has the Senate failed to pass, or even consider, legislation specifically designed to address an injustice while avoiding partisan division? 

Some Senators opposing the bill declare their support for the voting rights of DC but hold up their copies of the Constitution and declare that they cannot vote for a bill they consider unconstitutional. Never mind that conservative legal experts such as Kenneth Starr and Viet Dinh have testified to its constitutionality. And never mind that many of these same Senators have voted for bills of highly questionable constitutionality.

The truth is that many Senators, like most Americans, are ill-informed and even contemptuous of the city that is the nation’s capital. They seem unaware or willfully ignorant that District of Columbia residents pay federal income taxes, serve on juries, and die in wars to defend American democracy.

But we will overcome those who use the Constitution to argue against voting rights for the more than half million Americans who live in DC.   As my friend Wade Henderson noted on this blog the other day, “it is important that we understand that the bill’s delay in the Senate was not on its merits.” This bill passed the House overwhelmingly and has the support of a significant majority in the Senate. On the cloture vote, eight Republicans defied their leadership and voted to end the filibuster. On a straight up or down vote on its merits, this bill would pass easily.

Common Cause has worked long and hard for the democratic rights of the citizens of DC. We know that the vote last Tuesday was only the latest obstacle in this struggle. With our allies at DC Vote, the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights and many other groups, we will not give up until this Congress brings justice to the District of Columbia.