DC Vote, Author at DC Vote

.FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Jeannette O’Connor, [email protected]

DC Vote Statement in Response to President Trump’s Comments about DC and Janeese Lewis George

“The fact that a president can suggest overriding the will of more than 700,000 Americans simply because he disagrees with the outcome of an election underscores why DC statehood is so urgently needed.”

Washington, DC (June 29, 2026) – Amy Vruno, Executive Director of DC Vote, made the following statement in response to President Trump’s social media comments about Janeese Lewis George, the presumptive DC mayor-elect.

“We are grateful to Senator Cory Booker and the growing number of members of Congress who have spoken up in defense of DC residents and our right to self-government. Their leadership sends an important message: democracy does not stop at the District’s borders.

“President Trump’s comments about Janeese Lewis George are about more than one elected official—they raise a fundamental question about whether the people of Washington, DC have the same right to choose their own local leaders and govern their own affairs as every other American.

“The people of DC have spoken. Their choice deserves to be respected—not met with threats of federal intervention. The fact that a president can suggest overriding the will of more than 700,000 Americans simply because he disagrees with the outcome of an election underscores why DC statehood is so urgently needed.

“Democracy means respecting the will of the voters. Until DC residents have the same rights, representation, and self-governing authority as every other American, our democracy remains incomplete.”

###

About DC Vote

Founded in 1998, DC Vote is a national citizen engagement and advocacy organization dedicated to strengthening democracy and securing equality for all in the District of Columbia. Learn more at www.DCVote.org.

Trump Threatens DC Takeover Days Before Primary Election

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Jeannette O’Connor, [email protected]

Statement from Amy Vruno, Executive Director of DC Vote, on President Trump’s Threat to Take Over the District of Columbia

Washington, DC (June 12, 2026) — Following is a statement from Amy Vruno, Executive Director of DC Vote, on President Trump’s remarks Thursday, threatening to have the federal government take over Washington, DC if the outcome of the District’s local elections are not to his liking.

“Our message to Americans around the country is, imagine the President of the United States threatening to overthrow your local government if he dislikes the results of a free and fair local election. We call on fellow Americans to stand with the 700,000 residents of the District, stand against any attempt by Trump to work with Congress to overturn DC elections and Home Rule, and to stand up for statehood for DC. Residents deserve the same freedom as other Americans to elect local government leaders and voting representation in Congress.

“The President of the United States just threatened to strip a city of its self-governing authority because he may not like how its residents vote. This is a threat to democracy itself.

“DC’s nearly 700,000 residents pay federal taxes, serve in the military, and follow federal law, just like every other American. What they do not have is the same right to elect their own local leaders free from federal interference, or a voting voice in Congress to push back when that interference happens. No U.S. Senators. No vote in Congress. Today’s remarks make clear, once again, why that must change. The only permanent solution is DC statehood.”

###

Founded in 1998, DC Vote is a national citizen engagement and advocacy organization dedicated to strengthening democracy and securing equality for all in the District of Columbia. Learn more at www.DCVote.org.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Jeannette O’Connor, [email protected]

DC Vote Sounds Alarm on Expansion of National Guard Deployment in Washington, DC

Warns DC is a testing ground for federal overreach

Washington, DC (June 8, 2026) – Following is a statement from Amy Vruno, Executive Director of DC Vote, on news reports that an additional 1,500, or more, National Guard members are expected to be deployed by the Trump Administration into Washington, DC in advance of the July 4th holiday.

“Doubling the number of National Guard troops in DC is not a public safety strategy—it is a dangerous escalation of the federal takeover of our city. The District is being used as a testing ground for federal overreach and the erosion of local self-government, and the rest of the country should be paying close attention. As the nation prepares to celebrate 250 years of American democracy, the Administration is choosing to send thousands more troops into a city whose nearly 700,000 residents are still denied full representation and the full right to govern themselves. That contradiction should concern every American.

“The facts do not justify this escalation. Independent analysis of the current deployment found no measurable reduction in violent crime, yet the Administration is now seeking to double down on a policy that has failed to produce the results it promised. DC residents deserve real public safety solutions, accountable local leadership, and the same democratic rights as every other American—not more federal control.

“DC Vote is calling on governors across the country not to send their National Guard troops to our city. Governors should not allow their Guard members to be used to advance a federal takeover of a city whose residents have no voting representation in the body making these decisions. State leaders who believe in democracy and local control should stand with DC residents and reject this unprecedented expansion of federal power.

”The events unfolding in DC are yet another reminder that the only lasting solution is DC statehood. Until DC residents have the same rights, representation, and self-governing authority as every other American, our communities will remain vulnerable to political interference from leaders we did not elect and cannot hold accountable.”

###

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Ranit Schmelzer, [email protected]

New “DC ROADS Act” Continues Pattern of Congressional Interference in Local DC Transportation Policy

WASHINGTON, DC (May 19, 2026) — DC Vote today condemned H.R. 8801, the “DC ROADS Act,” introduced by Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA), calling the legislation yet another attempt by Congress to override the will of 700,000 District residents and interfere in decisions that should be made by locally elected leaders. The bill is expected to be marked up by the House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform tomorrow.

The legislation would prohibit the District of Columbia from implementing congestion pricing and would amend the DC Home Rule Act to permanently strip the DC Council of the authority to enact such a policy in the future. DC Vote says the bill is part of a broader pattern of congressional overreach into the District’s local affairs.

“This bill says a lot more about congressional overreach than it does about transportation policy,” said Amy Vruno, DC Vote Executive Director. “Rep. Perry is at it again spending time on local DC issues rather than the priorities of the Pennsylvania residents of his district. We recently traveled to Rep. Perry’s district and spoke directly with his constituents. They had many pressing issues on their minds, affordability, war, fuel and fertilizer prices and more. It won’t surprise you that not one person we interviewed mentioned anything about local roads nearly 100 miles away in DC. When we told them about Perry’s attempts to overturn local DC road laws, PA residents’ reactions ranged from confusion, laughter, frustration to disgust. Rep. Perry should focus on serving the people who elected him instead of trying to micromanage a city he does not represent.”

Rep. Perry previously introduced legislation targeting DC’s automated traffic enforcement cameras, continuing what DC Vote describes as a sustained effort to strip District residents of control over their own streets and public safety policies.

In March, DC Vote brought a delegation of District residents to Rep. Perry’s district in Harrisburg, PA, to speak directly with his constituents about his focus on DC traffic laws. Residents there overwhelmingly said they did not believe eliminating DC traffic cameras was a priority for their community. One Harrisburg resident summed it up bluntly: “I can’t imagine it’ll be on the radar at all. What do I care about DC traffic?” You can watch the full video interviews and find B-roll and photos to use in your reporting here.

The delegation came shortly after the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform advanced Perry’s earlier anti-DC traffic camera legislation. DC Vote argued then — as it does now — that no other city in America faces this level of federal interference in local transportation policy.

“No other American city has to deal with members of Congress from entirely different states trying to dictate how their streets are managed. DC residents deserve the exact same right.” Vruno added.

DC Vote also warned that H.R. 8801 represents a dangerous escalation because it would permanently amend the Home Rule Act itself, limiting the District’s authority well beyond a temporary appropriations rider.

“Every time Congress chips away at DC’s local authority, it reinforces why statehood is necessary,” Vruno said. “District residents are capable of making decisions about their own streets, transportation systems, and public safety — just like every other community in America.”

###

About DC Vote

The bill shows what happens when more than 700,000 DC residents are denied any representation in Congress

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Jeannette O’Connor, [email protected]

WASHINGTON, DC (April 21, 2026) – As the House Appropriations Committee prepares to vote this week on fiscal year 2027 funding for the District of Columbia, DC Vote is calling the measure an unacceptable attack on DC self-government. The bill would use Congress’s control over the District budget to override locally enacted laws on reproductive health, gun and traffic safety, climate policy, criminal justice reform, and more.

“This bill is a stark reminder that DC residents are still forced to live under a system in which lawmakers we do not elect can override the decisions of the people who do live in the District,” said Amy Vruno, Executive Director of DC Vote. “Congress is not simply debating federal spending. It is reaching into DC’s local affairs to nullify laws passed by our elected government and funded by our own local tax dollars. DC is already a donor jurisdiction, meaning DC residents pay more in federal taxes than we receive in federal funding services.”

“Many of the laws targeted in this bill were debated and passed by DC’s locally elected government—officials chosen by DC residents through free and fair elections. Congress is now attempting to repeal or defund those laws without a single vote from a DC resident. This is one of the most sweeping attacks on DC self-governance we have seen in years. It must stop.”

Below are some of the ways the House is trying to impose its will on DC residents without their consent:

Climate and Environment

Would block DC from enforcing its adoption of vehicle emission standards, undermining efforts to reduce pollution and protect public health.
Would block DC’s attorney general from using consumer protection laws to pursue oil and gas companies for environmental misrepresentation or deception, shielding polluters from accountability.

Gun Safety

Would declare that anyone with a concealed carry permit from any state, regardless of how easy or strict that state’s permitting standards are, can carry a loaded concealed weapon anywhere in DC and on the Metro system, effectively nullifying DC’s strict gun laws.

Policing Accountability and Criminal Justice Reform

Would block DC from implementing its Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Act, the landmark 2022 law that included use-of-force restrictions, body camera requirements, civilian oversight, and limits on police union bargaining over discipline.
Would repeal youth sentencing protections that allowed young adults up to age 24 to be treated as youth offenders eligible for rehabilitation rather than harsh adult mandatory minimums, meaning more young people would face harsher sentences.

Reproductive Rights and Gender Justice

Would repeal DC’s Human Rights Sanctuary Amendment Act. This shield law protects patients, doctors, and providers from out-of-state legal actions for receiving or providing reproductive and gender-affirming care that is legal in DC. Without this protection, providers could face legal jeopardy for delivering care that is entirely lawful in DC.
Would block the Reproductive Health Non-Discrimination Amendment Act, which prohibits employers from firing or penalizing employees for reproductive health decisions made outside of work, including the use of contraception, fertility treatment, or abortion.
Would block the Insurance Regulation Amendment Act of 2024, stripping insurance coverage protections for reproductive health care and gender-affirming care.

Transportation Safety

Would eliminate DC’s automated traffic camera program—the same policy targeted by H.R. 5525—but through the appropriations process. See DC Vote’s statement on this, here.
Would block the enforcement of DC’s right-turn-on-red ban, a pedestrian and cyclist safety measure.

Policing Accountability and Criminal Justice Reform

Would block DC from implementing its Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Act, the landmark 2022 law that included use-of-force restrictions, body camera requirements, civilian oversight, and limits on police union bargaining over discipline.
Would repeal youth sentencing protections that allowed young adults up to age 24 to be treated as youth offenders eligible for rehabilitation rather than harsh adult mandatory minimums, meaning more young people would face harsher sentences.

###

About DC Vote

On Saturday, a delegation of DC residents will travel to Rep. Perry’s district in Harrisburg, PA to ask residents about the top issues on their minds. Probably not DC traffic.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Jeannette O’Connor, [email protected]

WASHINGTON, DC (March 17, 2026) – DC Vote issued the following statement today in opposition to H.R. 5525, the Stop DC CAMERA Act, introduced by Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA-10), which would eliminate all 547 automated traffic enforcement cameras in the District and repeal DC’s right-turn-on-red ban. This bill is expected to be marked up this Wednesday in the House Oversight Committee.

Rep. Perry has long spearheaded an effort to repeal DC’s traffic safety program. According to the Washingtonian, his “ire is at least in part inspired by personal frustration.”

On Saturday, March 21, DC Vote will lead a delegation of DC residents to Rep. Perry’s district in Harrisburg, PA to ask his constituents about the top issues on their minds and what keeps them up at night. Will it be DC traffic laws? Details are available here.

Below is a statement from Amy Vruno, Executive Director of DC Vote, about the proposed legislation.

“No other American city has to deal with members of Congress from other parts of the country trying to interfere with local traffic policies. If the District of Columbia were a state and 700,000 residents had the full democratic rights of residents in every other state, this wouldn’t even be an issue.

“Don’t members of Congress from other parts of the country have something better to do for the residents they represent? We haven’t personally surveyed residents in their areas yet, but we wonder what might be the top issues on their minds. Guessing that local DC roads are not even on their radar. While Congress should be focused on the real challenges facing American families, it is instead micromanaging the traffic laws of a city whose residents have no vote in Congress.

“This is part of a troubling pattern of Congress using the District as a political battleground. Congress should not interfere in DC’s local affairs beyond what the Constitution permits it to do in any other state. We urge Congress to reject H.R. 5525 and affirm that DC residents deserve the same right to self-governance as every other American community.

“Over 700,000 Americans live in Washington, DC. They pay federal taxes, serve in the military, and contribute to the economic and civic life of our country, yet are denied full democratic rights and have no voting representation in Congress. DC’s elected leaders should determine how local traffic policies are structured in their city, not members of Congress who do not represent DC residents. Yet at a time when Americans are grappling with rising costs and urgent national challenges, the District is once again being used as a political distraction while the real concerns of working families go unaddressed.”

###

About DC Vote

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media contact: Jeannette O’Connor, [email protected]

WASHINGTON, DC (March 10, 2026) — DC Vote today announced that Amy Vruno has been appointed Executive Director, bringing more than two decades of nationally recognized organizing, coalition-building, and executive leadership to the organization at a pivotal moment for the District’s right to self-government.

Vruno is a seasoned organizer and cross-sector power builder with deep local experience in the District, and a track record of leading complex, multi-issue campaigns that deliver concrete results for working people. She joins DC Vote as Congress continues to interfere in the District’s local governance and as the movement for full representation and self-determination for the District’s more than 700,000 residents enters its next phase.

“Amy Vruno is exactly the kind of leader DC Vote needs in this moment,” said Daniel Solomon, Board Chair, DC Vote. “She brings a rare combination of strategic discipline, movement-building experience, and deep commitment to the people of the District. At a time when Congress continues to threaten DC’s autonomy and democracy itself is under strain, Amy has the vision and the leadership to help us defend home rule and keep building toward statehood. The Board is thrilled to welcome her as Executive Director.”

Founded nearly 30 years ago, DC Vote is a national citizen engagement and advocacy organization dedicated to strengthening democracy and securing equality for all in the District of Columbia. As Executive Director, Vruno will focus on expanding DC Vote’s civic and political power to win full representation and self-determination—and to position the statehood movement for the next window of federal opportunity.

“At a time when the struggle over who has a full voice in our democracy is playing out across the country, DC remains the clearest example of outright disenfranchisement in the United States,” said Amy Vruno, Executive Director, DC Vote. “The District is home to extraordinary local grassroots leadership and national coalitions working to advance democracy and lift up the voices of working people across the country. I’m eager to work with local and national allies to defend home rule and the self-determination of the District’s 700,000 residents, while driving a relentless strategy to win DC statehood at the next possible window of opportunity.”

Vruno has spent her career leading complex, multi-issue campaigns that expand access to participation in civic and economic life. Her work has consistently bridged faith, labor, and community institutions, building durable civic infrastructure capable of moving both government and corporate decision-makers, and expanding who has a voice in the decisions that shape their lives. Across work in labor, climate, community and philanthropy, she has built on-the-ground capacity in nearly every state in the nation.

As a Program Officer with Invest in Our Future, she managed a $41+ million national grantmaking portfolio supporting community power-building and clean energy implementation. At Washington Interfaith Network, where she was Executive Director, and previously as a Supervising Organizer with the Metro Industrial Areas Foundation, she directed and developed large-scale organizing efforts across housing, climate, transit, utilities, family sustaining jobs, and economic justice. Under her leadership, coalitions secured more than $500 million annually in dedicated public transit funding across DC, Maryland, and Virginia without concessions that harmed frontline workers; advanced a pipeline of more than 3,000 affordable homes; helped move 1,700 residents from homelessness into permanent housing; and won passage of the Healthy Homes Act to electrify 30,000 low- and moderate-income homes.

Vruno also brings extensive executive and fundraising experience. Over more than 15 years, she has raised resources through dues, major donors, foundations, and contracts; built and supervised high-performing teams; and led organizational change through periods of growth and transition.

“For decades, the people of the District of Columbia have fought for the fundamental democratic right to govern ourselves and to have voting representation in Congress,” said Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton. “Amy Vruno brings the experience, energy, and strategic leadership needed to advance that cause at a critical time for the District. I look forward to working with her as we continue the fight to achieve statehood and full equality for DC residents.”

“The fight for DC statehood is a major part of the fight for democracy and freedom in America today. The last several years have shown that there is no safety for the rights of 700,000 American citizens in Washington without statehood and full equality in our constitutional system,” said Rep. Jamie Raskin (MD-8). “Amy Vruno understands both the profound urgency of the democracy crisis in Washington and the profound opportunity for change in this moment of political organizing across America. Vruno is a seasoned organizer and coalition builder who knows how to mobilize democratic ideals to build grassroots political power and social change. I’m excited to work with her and DC Vote as we continue pushing to secure full representation and democracy for the too often besieged people of the District.”

Vruno holds a Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School and a B.A. in Sociology from the University of Minnesota, and is certified in leadership coaching through Georgetown University.

Read Amy’s full bio and download her headshot here.

###

About DC Vote

DC Vote was founded in 1998 to develop and coordinate solution-oriented proposals that aim to achieve full democratic equality for residents of the District of Columbia. Under DC Vote’s umbrella, creative proposals are incubated and vetted to determine possibilities for consensus and advancement into the policy arena. Learn more at dcvote.org.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
February 24, 2026

MEDIA CONTACT:
Jeannette O’Connor, [email protected]

Washington, D.C. (Feb. 24, 2026) — Today, D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb issued a legal opinion concluding that Congress failed to meet the legal requirements necessary to overturn the District’s locally enacted tax law.

If correct, that means Congress’ disapproval resolution was not only an attack on D.C.’s self-government, it was also legally ineffective.

For weeks, 700,000 D.C. residents have been caught in chaos created by Congress’ unprecedented interference in the District’s local tax policy. City officials warned that the disapproval could cost hundreds of millions in revenue, disrupt tax filing season for tens of thousands of residents, and create serious uncertainty for families and businesses.

“The Attorney General has made clear that Congress may have missed the very deadline required under the D.C. Home Rule Act to block the law,” said Stasha Rhodes, Senior Director of Public Affairs, DC Vote.

“What Congress attempted to do is taxation without representation in real time. All 50 states can make their own tax decisions without Congress stepping in because states have sovereignty. DC does not, and that is the problem. When the anti-democratic majority in Congress tries to bulldoze local laws at the last minute, it throws tax season into chaos and puts our finances, services, and democracy at risk. Until D.C. becomes the 51st state, political actors will keep treating Washingtonians like second-class citizens.”

“Whether Congress ultimately accepts this legal interpretation or seeks to escalate the dispute, one fact remains: As long as D.C. is denied statehood, Congress retains the power to meddle in the District’s local affairs, even when doing so creates instability and confusion for residents.

“D.C. residents pay federal taxes, serve in the military, and fulfill every obligation of citizenship. They deserve certainty in their laws and the right to govern themselves without interference.

“Statehood is the only permanent solution.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
February 19, 2026

WASHINGTON, DC (Feb. 19, 2026) – Once again, anti-democracy politicians in Congress, backed by the President, are attempting to override the will of 700,000 D.C. residents.

Last week, Congress passed H.J. Res. 142 in an effort to overturn DC’s locally enacted tax law. Yesterday, President Trump signed that resolution.

But D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson has made clear that Congress missed its statutory deadline under the Home Rule Act, meaning DC’s law is already in effect.

DC Vote stands with the Council in defending the District’s legal authority and its right to self-govern.

If this federal interference is allowed to stand, it would strip hundreds of millions of dollars from DC’s budget, putting schools, public safety, infrastructure, and the District’s bond rating at risk. It would eliminate the Child Tax Credit projected to reduce child poverty by 20 percent. And it would throw tax season into chaos for DC families and small businesses.

At least 25 red and blue states have diverged from the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.” Congress has not interfered because it cannot. States have sovereignty.

But DC is not a state.

And because of that, 700,000+ taxpaying American citizens have no voting representation in Congress and no protection from congressional nullification of their local laws.

That is taxation without representation.

It is wrong. It is anti-democratic. And it is exactly why DC must become the 51st state.

Let DC Vote.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
February 13, 2026

MEDIA CONTACT:
Jeannette O’Connor
[email protected]

WASHINGTON, DC (Feb. 13, 2026) – DC Vote issued the following statement in response to Senate passage of H.J. Res. 142. The resolution attempts to overturn a December 2025 Washington, DC, law that reestablished a child tax credit and earned income tax credit for DC residents, among other provisions.

DC’s approach is consistent with actions taken in at least 10 other states, including Alabama, Virginia, and Maryland, which have separated their tax rules from specific provisions of the federal tax code.

“Yesterday, Congress attempted to override a locally passed DC tax law and to create an immediate fiscal crisis for the District, without a single vote from the more than 700,000 DC residents,” said Stasha Rhodes, Senior Policy Advisor, DC Vote.”

“Let’s be clear, Congressional meddling in DC is only possible because DC has long been denied statehood. It is past time to bring the right to self-governance to the people of DC.”

“This is not an oversight. It is Congress attempting to substitute its judgment for local self-government.”

“Overturning this law would cost the District of Columbia hundreds of millions of dollars in local revenue, putting funding for schools, public safety, infrastructure, and DC’s child tax credit and earned income tax credit at risk – credits that are projected to reduce child poverty in the District by 20 percent.”

“What’s more, changing DC’s tax policy in February could throw the tax season into disarray, requiring many residents to refile their taxes and potentially delaying tax rebates to everyday American taxpayers living in Washington, DC.”

The Washington Post reported yesterday that, before the vote, DC Council Chair Phil Mendelson posted a notice saying the tax bill Congress was trying to overturn had already become law because Congress’s 30-day review period ended Wednesday. Congress and the council often count those days differently, and it has not been tested in court. Mendelson did not say if the council will challenge Congress’s action, and the DC attorney general’s office declined to comment. DC Vote would welcome such a challenge.