Washington, DC residents are disenfranchised in a way that most Americans would not imagine possible – denied voting rights in Congress despite paying taxes, serving in the military, and having all the other obligations of United States citizenship. Not only are DC residents deprived of full voting representation in Congress, we are also subject to the politically-motivated whims of members of Congress from other parts of the country. Any law or budget that we as citizens support must be approved by Congress. The people of Washington, DC contribute more per capita in taxes than any other state, we are have larger GDP than 17 states, and our population is larger than Vermont’s and Wyoming’s. In short, DC is ready for statehood!