Hello,

The League of Conservation Voters, Natural Resources Defense Council, and Sierra Club invite your organizations to join a letter supporting H.R. 5803, the Washington, D.C. Admissions Act. Organizations can sign on to this letter by Friday, March 20, and we encourage national as well as state and local environmental organzations.

As you know, the protection of our planet is inextricably tied to the protection of our democracy, and the generational disenfranchisement of the over 700,000 DC residents, a majority of whom are people of color, is a key example of the anti-democratic policies we need to reverse as a nation. Providing statehood to DC, while preserving a Federal District for the nation’s government, would provide full representation in Congress and end the targeted interference of Congress in District matters. And as a community on the front lines of environmental racism, DC’s voice in the House and Senate is needed now more than ever as we face access to clean air and water, and the existential crisis of climate change.

For those who have not followed the legislation, the House Oversight Committee voted H.R. 5803 out of Committee on February 11, and House leadership has committed to bringing the bill to a vote on the House floor before the summer, which will be the first statehood vote in Congress since 1993.

As we endeavor to show that the issue of representation for DC is a matter of concern for the entire nation, I encourage you to circulate this letter to state and local environmental organizations. For those who have additional questions about DC statehood or the details of the legislation, please do not hesitate to reach out to me directly.

Thank you,

Ben

Ben Driscoll

Judiciary Program Director

League of Conservation Voters

(202) 454-4546 (o)| (916) 220-2731 (c)

bdriscoll@lcv.org | lcv.org