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Should The Capital Vote In Congress? A Critical Analysis Of The Proposed D.C. Representation Amendment , U.S. Senator Orrin G. Hatch

Fordham Urban Law Journal

This article describes H.J. Res. 554, the proposed Amendment to obtain voting representation for D.C. It gives a historical overview of the District and its efforts to gain national representation, and presents a critical analysis of the case for District representation, including a summary of the arguments made in favor of the proposed amendment, as well as the constitutional and policy objections to the D.C. Amendment. The article concludes that proponents of the amendment conflate representation of the citizens of the District with representation of the District, and overlook its place as a neutral seat of government.