D.C. representation used to be a bipartisan cause

But the question was a moral one, pitting political expediency against a straightforward question of equality: Could we, the public servants charged with representing Americans in Congress, deny that same representation to our fellow citizens? Sixty-one House Republicans voted for the resolution – representing 43% of the Republican caucus – and it passed the House by a 289-127 vote – 11 votes more than the required two-thirds majority. Of the necessary votes for two-thirds passage, 13 came from the 17 Republican freshmen, who would face voters again in less than seven months. The vote marked the first time a proposal for full congressional representation of the district had passed either chamber... The joint resolution passed the Senate 67-32, one vote more than the required two-thirds majority. Senate Republicans evenly split their votes, with 19 voting for and against. Among those voting in favor were Arizona Sen. Barry Goldwater – often referred to as “Mr. Conservative” – and Strom Thurmond – an archconservative from South Carolina. They were joined by Minority Leader Howard Baker of Tennessee and Bob Dole of Kansas. Had any one of these Republican senators voted against the resolution, it would have failed to pass. Unfortunately, despite the overwhelming bipartisan majorities in Congress, the constitutional amendment failed to be ratified by 38 states within the required seven-year period, leaving the residents of Washington, D.C., without congressional representation.
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