H.R.5388 - 109th Congress (2005-2006): District of Columbia Fair and Equal House Voting Rights Act of 2006
Pass the District of Columbia Fair and Equal House Voting Rights Act of 2006 to provide the District of Columbia with voting representation in the U.S. House.
Occurrences
H.R.1905 - 110th Congress (2007-2008): District of Columbia House Voting Rights Act of 2007
H.R.157 - 111th Congress (2009-2010): District of Columbia House Voting Rights Act of 2009
Evidence
Congress.gov records H.R.5388 in the 109th Congress as the District of Columbia Fair and Equal House Voting Rights Act of 2006. The bill was introduced in 2006 and did not become public law.
The article summarizes that the District of Columbia Fair and Equal House Voting Rights Act of 2006, H.R. 5388, would have granted D.C. voting representation in the House only and that the bill never made it out of committee.
Congress.gov lists Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton as sponsor of H.R.1905, introduced April 18, 2007. It states the bill passed the House on April 19, 2007 by recorded vote, 241-177, 1 present, but its latest action was Senate committee hearings on May 23, 2007.
Congress.gov lists Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton as sponsor of H.R.157, introduced January 6, 2009. The bill summary says it would consider D.C. a congressional district for House representation, but the tracker status is Introduced, with latest action placed on the Union Calendar on March 2, 2009.
Congress.gov records S.160 as passed by the Senate on February 26, 2009 by a 61-37 vote, then held at the House desk on March 2, 2009. The summary says it would consider D.C. a congressional district for House representation.
The article states that D.C. is represented in the House by a delegate who is not allowed to vote on the House floor, and that D.C. residents have no Senate representation. It also states that no bill granting D.C. voting representation has passed both houses of Congress.
Congress.gov records H.R.51 in the 116th Congress as a D.C. admission/statehood bill sponsored by Del. Norton. The bill passed the House but did not become law.
Assessments
The promised outcome was passage of the District of Columbia Fair and Equal House Voting Rights Act of 2006, or otherwise providing D.C. voting representation in the U.S. House. H.R.5388 did not become law, and later Norton-backed successor efforts, including the 2007 House-passed bill and 2009 bills, also failed to enact voting House representation. Because Norton sponsored and materially advanced serious legislation toward the promised result, including House passage of a successor bill during the post-2006 term, she receives an effort badge, but the core outcome was not delivered.