Washington, D.C. may become the 51st state

Posted on by Jasmine Abreu

Democrats controlling the House will vote next week to make the District of Columbia the 51st state, saying it is an issue that transcends domestic politics.

What We Know:

  • On June 26th, the House of Representatives will vote on a statehood bill for the District of Columbia (D.C) to become the 51st state. This isn’t the first time that D.C. has tried to pass a statehood bill. In 1993, a Democratic-controlled Congress defeated the bill in a 2-1 margin.
  • The Democrats controlling the House are pushing the bill following protests unleashed after George Floyd’s killing. The bill gained more support on Capitol Hill after an incident two weeks ago at St. John’s Church, where protesters were tear-gassed out of Lafayette Street before President Trump walked across the street to take a picture with a bible in front of the church. 
  • Following the incident, over 7 thousand federal and military troops were brought in to ‘defend’ the capital. District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bower was against the deployment of the troops.

“We saw federal forces used in a political stunt, and the American military moved like toy soldiers to intimidate Americans,” Bowser said. “It’s another reason why we demand DC statehood.”

  • District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bower, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, along with House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer held a news conference for D.C. statehood today. Hoyer acknowledged that the bill would face opposition from the Republican-controlled Senate, but he believes resident’s rights should transcend any political calculations.
  • “Politics is not the issue. It’s democracy that’s the issue,“ Hoyer said.

  • D.C residents pay the highest per-capita federal income taxes in the US. They drive cars with “Taxation Without Representation” license plates because they pay federal taxes but have no voting representation in Congress. The District is home to more than 700,000 residents, making it more populous than Vermont or Wyoming. With the racial demographic being about 46% black and white, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, the District’s three Electoral College votes are reliably Democratic.
  • The statehood bill would allow for D.C. to be the State of Washington, Douglass Commonwealth. The new state would have two senators and a voting representative. The federally controlled district would be reduced to the National Mall, the White House, and Capitol Hill.

Over 220 members, all Democrats, have already cosponsored the bill. If it passes, this would be the first statehood approval bill from the chamber of Congress. 

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