WASHINGTON, D.C. - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, released the following statement in response to the Senate passing legislation to give the District of Columbia a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives.  The House’s vote last week was postponed but may be re-scheduled at any time. 

 “Montanans lost a seat in Congress during the 1990 redistricting process, so nobody understands the importance of representation in Congress more than we do.  The current proposal to expand voting rights for the D.C. Delegate is not only a violation of the Constitution, but also dilutes Montana’s representation in the House of Representatives.  There are other non-political solutions that should be considered.  For example, in a recent survey, returning the residential areas of D.C. to Maryland was nearly twice as popular as simply treating it like a state.  This approach respects the Constitution and doesn’t negatively impact states like Montana.”