September 15, 2007 | By Nathaniel Ward

Will Congress uphold the Constitution?

The Senate will vote as soon as next week on a measure that violates explicit and plain provisions in the Constitution. The plan, which already passed the House, is this: to grant the District of Columbia a vote in the House of Representatives even though it is not a state.

As I argued in a recent paper, a long history (and, more importantly, the text of the Constitution) supports “the long-accepted notion that only through a constitutional amendment can the nation’s capital be treated as a state.” There is a legitimate case for resolving the Constitutional dilemma facing District residents, who lack representation in Congress, but any solution should remain within the clear bounds of the Constitution.

Nathaniel Ward is the Editor of MyHeritage.org—a website for members and supporters of The Heritage Foundation.