District of Columbia's At-large congressional district

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District of Columbia's 1st congressional district
Area	68.3 mi²
Population (2000)	572,059
Median income	$40,127
Ethnic composition	30.8% White, 60.0% Black, 2.7% Asian, 2.4% Hispanic, 0.3% Native American, 3.8% other
Occupation	16.3% blue collar, 72.5% white collar, 11.2% gray collar
Cook PVI	D+39

Since, according to the U.S. Constitution, only states may be represented in Congress, the District of Columbia has no voting representative. Instead, D.C. elects a non-voting delegate to the House of Representatives. Unlike residents of U.S. territories, who also elect non-voting delegates to Congress, residents of D.C. pay federal income tax, which in the view of many residents subjects them to "taxation without representation".

Despite lacking full voting privileges on the House floor, delegates are voting members of House committees and they lobby their Congressional colleagues regarding the District's interests. In January 2007, the House adopted HRes 78, which permits delegates to cast non-binding floor votes when the House was operating in the Committee of the Whole, a procedure that last existed from 1993-1995.

[edit] Delegates from the District of Columbia to the United States House of Representatives

[edit] See also

• District of Columbia voting rights
• D.C. Statehood