"It is fundamentally unfair that the citizens of our nation's capital have no vote in Congress. Equal and meaningful representation is what inspired our fight for national independence. Taxation without representation was unacceptable to Americans two hundred years ago. It is just as unacceptable today.

DC citizens pay federal taxes and serve our country with distinction in our armed forces. They deserve the exact same rights as all other Americans.

As President, I will work closely with Mayor Anthony Williams and the people of the District to achieve full voting rights and real home rule. As a first step, I will immediately ask Congress to restore the vote to Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton.

I will also ensure that the District receives the funding it deserves. I will act on the recent GAO report which found that under current congressional constraints, the District does not have enough funds to meet its citizensŐ needs. I will ask Congress to provide for a federal payment and make the necessary changes in federal program reimbursement formulas. The federal government should always pay its fair share of the services that federal agencies and their employees use.

If I am elected, the District will have a friend in the White House. My car will proudly display the DC license plate, which protests "taxation without representation."