Since, according to the U.S. Constitution, only states may be represented in Congress, the District of Columbia has no voting representative. Instead, D.C. elects a non-voting delegate to the House of Representatives. Unlike residents of U.S. territories, who also elect non-voting delegates to Congress, residents of D.C. pay federal income tax, which in the view of many residents subjects them to "taxation without representation".
Despite lacking full voting privileges on the House floor, delegates are voting members of House committees and they lobby their Congressional colleagues regarding the District's interests. In January 2007, the House adopted , which permits delegates to cast non-binding floor votes when the House was operating in the Committee of the Whole, a procedure that last existed from 1993-1995.
| Delegate | Party | Years served |
|---|---|---|
| Norton P. Chipman | Republican | 1871 – 1875 |
| Position eliminated in 1875; restored in 1971. | ||
| Walter E. Fauntroy | Democratic | 1971 – 1991 |
| Eleanor Holmes Norton | Democratic | 1991 – present |