VIDEO: John Oliver Says D.C. Residents Deserve Real Voice in Congress

image
Created: 03 Aug, 2015
Updated: 21 Nov, 2022
1 min read

On Sunday's Last Week Tonight, John Oliver made the case that residents of Washington, D.C. should be represented by a member of Congress who can vote on their behalf.  

While D.C.’s population is larger than Vermont and Wyoming and the territory’s gross domestic product is higher than that of 16 states, residents do not have full representation in our political process, Oliver argues. 

"The people of D.C. clearly deserve a greater voice in their own affairs,” Oliver says.

While Congress came close to passing a bill to give D.C. a vote in 2009, it had one, tiny condition -- D.C. would have to repeal all of its current gun control laws. Yup - that’s right - D.C. residents could only gain voting rights as a territory if they reversed the city's gun laws.

"We are the only democracy in the world that does this. In fact, when the Dali Lama came to visit he wondered why a small pocket of people living in the world’s champion of democracy lacked full voting rights, calling it ‘quite strange, quite strange.’” 

Washington, D.C. does have a representative - U.S. Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton - but she cannot actually vote on matters brought before the House floor.

Watch as John Oliver provides a brief overview of D.C.’s political history: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Z4j2CrJRn4

IVP Donate

Should Washington, D.C. Become the 51st State? 

Latest articles

Stack of mail ballots.
New Report Finds Universal Vote at Home States Nearly Doubled Turnout in 2024 Primaries
The National Vote at Home Institute (NVAHI) released a new report Monday that states with Universal Vote at Home (VAH) saw nearly double the voter turnout in the 2024 primary elections compared to states that didn't offer it....
31 Mar, 2025
-
2 min read
Chicago skyline
Mayors of America's Largest Cities Embrace Ranked Choice Voting
Mayors of big cities across the country are coming out in support of ranked choice voting (RCV). RCV is currently used in 46 U.S. cities, including the most populous cities in seven states....
31 Mar, 2025
-
3 min read
Image of Washington DC with the US Capitol in the background.
This Isn't the Political Makeover Independent Voters Hoped to Get
Both parties have undergone radical transformations, leaving many Americans feeling politically homeless and eager for a new alternative....
31 Mar, 2025
-
2 min read