Residents of Washington, D.C., don’t have voting members of Congress, so we have no say in what happens on Capitol Hill. And if DoorDash gets its way, we will have even less say at City Hall.
The San Francisco-based company, worth about $73 billion, objected to a 20-cent fee on food deliveries that the D.C. Council recently enacted.
But rather than make its case to the district’s elected leaders or persuade voters the fee was a bad idea, DoorDash went nuclear, publicly backing Republican legislation that would require Congress to approve any future local taxes or fees in the district.
I’ve never used DoorDash, but this decision made me wish I’d signed up just so I could dramatically cancel my account.
I’ve never used DoorDash, but this decision made me wish I’d signed up just so I could dramatically cancel my account. As a D.C. resident, I don’t have much power to do anything else.
Congress already exercises sweeping authority over the district. Under the 1973 Home Rule Act, it can block laws passed by the D.C. Council during a review period through a joint resolution. Even after that period ends, Congress can still overturn local laws through ordinary legislation or — more commonly — by attaching riders to must-pass appropriations bills.
Over the years, Republicans in Congress have repeatedly used that power to block policies supported by D.C. voters, including needle-exchange programs during the AIDS crisis, medical marijuana and funding for abortions for low-income women. Congress has even barred D.C. from using its own funds to lobby for statehood.
(To be fair, former President Barack Obama agreed to restrictions on D.C. abortion funding during budget negotiations, and former President Joe Biden signed legislation overturning the district’s revised criminal code. But Republicans have been responsible for the vast majority of congressional interference.)
Most members of Congress don’t care enough about D.C.’s local affairs to get involved. But there’s almost always one or two who do, and that’s often enough to drag everyone else along.
This bill would reverse that dynamic. Instead of Congress having to muster the votes to overturn a local tax, every future D.C. tax or fee would require affirmative congressional approval. Since many Republicans oppose virtually all tax increases, that would severely limit the City Council’s ability to raise revenue for services residents want. Whether Congress thinks a tax increase is wise isn’t really the point; it isn’t their decision to make.
This legislation — and DoorDash’s decision to support it — is only the latest in a series of provocations directed at D.C.
During immigration protests in 2025, President Donald Trump temporarily assumed control of the D.C. Metropolitan Police under federal authority. He also sent in the National Guard, leaving armed service members in military uniforms stationed around train stations and shopping areas despite local officials arguing there was no public safety emergency. Under a new contract, the National Guard Bureau will spend $292 million through June of 2027 to find 2,000 “apartment-style lodging units” for them, putting additional pressure on an already expensive housing market.
Trump has also repeatedly floated a federal takeover of D.C., particularly if Democratic nominee Janeese Lewis George wins the mayor’s race this November, as polls and political observers widely expect.
Supporters of D.C. statehood have made many arguments over the years, from invoking “no taxation without representation” to noting that the district has more residents than Wyoming or Vermont. But nothing has made the case more vividly than repeated attempts by congressional Republicans to impose their political preferences on a city that overwhelmingly rejects them at the ballot box.
DoorDash is playing with fire. The company has long lobbied Democrats and Republicans alike on issues such as preserving the contractor status of its drivers and fighting local delivery fees.
In a statement to local news outlets, DoorDash claimed it supports Home Rule for D.C., but said its support for the GOP bill is about defending “D.C.’s small business, local economy, and underserved residents.” But rather than simply opposing one tax, DoorDash is supporting legislation that would effectively strip D.C. residents of control over their own local government.
DoorDash customers across the country now know what the company thinks the democratic rights of 700,000 Washingtonians are worth: about 20 cents.
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