People participate in a DC voting rights rally in Washington on April 16, 2007 (Photo: Kevin Dietsch/UPI/Newscom)

All Americans have two Senators and a House member who vote in Congress on behalf of their constituents. All Americans, that is, except residents of the nation's capital.

Washington, D.C., a federal district created in 1791, has no voting representative in Congress. This means that when issues come up that may affect D.C. residents, they don't have an official say. Eleanor Holmes-Norton, a Democrat, is the congressional Delegate for D.C., but Delegates do not have full voting rights.

A bill to give D.C. residents a Representative in the House failed in the Senate. Opponents said the bill was unconstitutional. Only residents of states can send voting representatives to Congress. Washington, D.C., is not a state. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is a Republican representing Kentucky. He says if D.C. residents want a voice in Congress, “they have a remedy: amend the Constitution.”

Supporters say denying D.C. a voting representative is unfair. They say D.C. residents pay federal taxes and should have a vote in Congress. The District, with a population of about 600,000, is about 60 percent African-American. Supporters vow not to give up.

“I feel strongly about D.C. voting rights,” said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Democrat representing Nevada. “It's the right thing to do.”