My name is Mateo Rubiera. I am a 15-year-old going into the 11th grade, and I live in your congressional district. Like you, I am Hispanic, a child of a Cuban immigrant.

Why immigrate to the United States, whether from Cuba or elsewhere? To me, America is not a country based on a shared nationality, ethnicity, culture, religion, or race. In fact, it is the very rejection of such a country; America is an idea. America is a country whose citizens may not share very much by way of ancestry. On the contrary, they share something much more important: a belief in a select few tenets most notably outlined in Thomas Jefferson's Declaration of Independence. That is, a belief that all people are created equal, and that all people have certain rights and civil liberties that should be guaranteed and protected by a government made up of themselves. It was President Ronald Reagan who put it best when he said “You can go to live in France, but you cannot become a Frenchman. You can go to live in Germany or Turkey or Japan, but you cannot become a German, a Turk, or a Japanese. But anyone, from any corner of the Earth, can come to live in America and become an American.” (The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute). The most important among the aforementioned rights and civil liberties guaranteed by the United States Constitution and established by the Enlightenment men who were our founding fathers is the right to vote. After all, we Americans live in a Republic, “...a government which derives all its powers directly or indirectly from the great body of the people, and is administered by persons holding their offices during pleasure, for a limited period, or during good behavior.” (Federalist, No. 39). What use is this right to vote, though, when those who represent us represent 800,000 others? How can we be sure our thoughts, as citizens, aren't drowned out by the noise of our fellow constituents? How can we be sure we are heard?

When the U.S. House of Representatives first convened in 1789, the 65 representatives each represented approximately 30,000 citizens (History, Art & Archives). George Washington himself warned of a situation far in the future in which underrepresentation may get out of hand and the ratio of citizens to representatives might get too high. (This was the only time he broke his silence throughout the entirety of the constitutional convention.) There is no doubt in my mind that the United States has reached that point. Notably, the very first presidential veto was issued by Washington as a means of preventing the ratio of constituents to congressmen from growing too large. Today around 800,000 people are represented by each congressperson. That is a number greater than the populations of 14 UN-recognized countries. It is preposterous to suggest that all 800,000 of those voices are to be heard. The greater the ratio of constituents to representatives, the greater the distance between the people and their representatives, making the concept of self-governance feel like an abstract idea, rather than a reality. As you are well aware, part of the value of a democracy is the citizen’s ability to hold its government accountable, and the government’s obligation to its citizens. The more the valley between the people and their government widens, the harder it is for the people to keep their government accountable, weakening our democracy.

Though many Americans may be confident in the strength of our democracy, it may surprise you that the United States is a “Flawed democracy,” receiving a 7.65/10 on The Economist Democracy Index (with 10 being a Full democracy and 0 being an Authoritarian regime). The United Kingdom, on the other hand, scores an 8.34/10, making it a Full democracy. It is no coincidence, then, that in the United Kingdom’s House of Commons, its lower parliamentary house, there are 650 seats whose respective Members of Parliament (MPs) each represent 75,000 people, to give a conservative estimate. This is all rather ironic considering a large contributor to American colonists’ motivation for declaring independence from Great Britain was a lack of representation.

I am therefore writing to ask you to support efforts to repeal the Permanent Apportionment Act of 1929 before the 2030 Census while you have the opportunity. The rapidly-approaching Census will mark 101 years since the cap was established–113 years since the last expansion to the House of Representatives was made in 1913, during which the United States population more than tripled, increasing by over 250 percent. This is why, as your constituent, Congresswoman, I urge you to be among those who act in favor of repealing the Permanent Apportionment Act of 1929; I urge you to be among those who have followed in the footsteps of Washington and his fellow founding fathers by fighting for our democracy and appreciating its sanctity, not only for the present, but also for posterity!

Thank you, Congresswoman Maria Salazar, for your time, your service, and your consideration of this important issue.

Thanks for contacting me! I love hearing your thoughts and comments – it’s very important to me to know what our community thinks. My office is currently receiving a high volume of messages every day, and we greatly appreciate your patience as we work to get back to you as quickly as possible.
My goal is to make sure that you are always heard and that you have access to all the resources and information my office provides. If you have any questions in the meantime, please don't hesitate to contact my office at 202-225-3931 or visit my website for additional resources.
Gracias!
María Elvira Salazar
Member of Congress

Dear Mr. Rubiera,
[You do not need to adjust your display. My name is written twice for whatever reason.]
Dear Mr. Rubiera,

As your Congresswoman, your priorities are my priorities. I have received your inquiry regarding the repeal of the Permanent Apportionment Act of 1929 and appreciate you bringing it to my attention!

By learning what is important to my constituents, I can effectively represent Florida’s 27th District. I will be looking further into ways we can address this issue.

As always, I truly appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns. Please continue to send me your thoughts on how I can better represent you. The best way to keep up with my office is through Twitter (@RepMariaSalazar) and Facebook. You can also subscribe to my weekly newsletter here. It is an honor to serve you in Congress.

Gracias!

Sincerely,

María E. Salazar
Member of Congress