STATEMENT: President Biden's Failure to Stand Up for DC Home Rule Weakens Democracy

We are shocked and condemn in the strongest terms possible President Biden's hypocrisy of supporting DC Statehood in name but failing to stand up for home rule. We urge him to reconsider his decision not to veto the Republican-led effort to block recently passed legislation by the DC Council. Regardless of where anyone stands on specific legislation, we should be clear-eyed about what a failure to stand up for home rule bodes for the future. This will become an open invitation to do so again and embolden the forces that threaten democracy locally and nationally. Self-determination is a bedrock principle of any democracy worth its name. Now more than ever, it is clear that the only way to guarantee the residents of the District of Columbia their full rights is through statehood.