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Patriotic Millionaires Chair Speaks Out in Support of DC Statehood Vote

"The people of D.C. are just as much citizens of the United States as residents of the 50 states, and yet they have no political representation."

WASHINGTON

Today, the House of Representatives will vote on H.R. 51, a bill to formally make the District of Columbia the 51st state in the Union. In response to this historic vote, Morris Pearl, former managing director at Blackrock, Inc., and Chair of the Patriotic Millionaires, issued the following statement:

"One of the first things schoolchildren learn about the United States is that every citizen has a right to representation in our government. Yet for over half a million people living in Washington, DC, that promise is a lie. It is both inexcusable and morally repugnant that over 600,000 citizens are denied the most basic right in our democracy because they live in the District of Columbia.

The people of DC are just as much citizens of the United States as residents of the 50 states, and yet they have no political representation in Congress, even though Washington, DC has more residents than two states. H.R. 51 would finally end an inexcusable injustice, and in the process take an important step toward ensuring our democracy is free, fair, and open to everyone in this country."

The Patriotic Millionaires is a group of high-net worth Americans who share a profound concern about the destabilizing level of inequality in America. Our work centers on the two things that matter most in a capitalist democracy: power and money. Our goal is to ensure that the country's political economy is structured to meet the needs of regular Americans, rather than just millionaires. We focus on three "first" principles: a highly progressive tax system, a livable minimum wage, and equal political representation for all citizens.

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