Should Washington, D.C. Become a State?
Bill Summary
This bill would admit Washington, D.C. as the 51st state into the United States. Current District law and judicial proceedings would carry over into the new commonwealth and the Mayor would call for elections of two Senators and one Representative. The state would exclude federal buildings, monuments, the White House, Capitol, Supreme Court, and federal agency offices which would be called the “Capital”. The District cannot impose taxes on federal property and the federal government would maintain its authority over the Capital. The bill also calls for an expedited joint resolution to repeal the 23rd amendment, which currently allows D.C. to vote for President and Vice President. Lastly, the bill would create a Statehood Transition Commission to advise the President, Congress, and the District on D.C.’s transition to statehood.
Sponsor: Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton (Democrat, Washington, D.C., At Large)
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Opponents say
• "In their rush to make Washington a state, they disregard the clear warnings of our Founding Fathers. If the Democrats succeed in forcing through D.C. statehood, they'll do so only as a narrow faction that scorns the history of our country and seizes power against the will of the people, who want Washington to remain what it has been for more than 200 years: the Federal City, our nation's capital. The District of Columbia is unusual-though not unique-among capitals of the world in that it didn't grow naturally over the centuries but was purpose-built as the capital of our nation. The Founders created Washington as a "Federal City" so that the operations of government would be safe and free from domination by the states around it."
Source: Senator Tom Cotton (Republican, Arkansas)
• "This bill is not the answer to voting rights for D.C. If D.C. were to become a state, the Founding Fathers recognized it would be first among states. This is because the district where the federal government resides would be reliant on the surrounding state—in this case, the state of D.C.—for security, sewage, water, and other essential needs. It would require foreign governments to negotiate with that state for embassies and other international matters. The Founding Fathers wanted none of this. They wanted Congress to have oversight over the District, something Congress must retain to protect federal interests. And, it has worked well for over 230 years. It is our duty as Representatives for all Americans to safeguard their capital, but that’s not good enough for the progressives on the left, which leads me to the major practical problems with this bill. It is written to maximize the benefit to the new state of D.C. while burdening American taxpayers. The lines of the newly envisioned state of D.C. are completely gerrymandered for maximum tax revenue." Source: Rep. Jody Hice (Republican, Georgia, District 10)
• "This bill is not the answer to voting rights for D.C. If D.C. were to become a state, the Founding Fathers recognized it would be first among states. This is because the district where the federal government resides would be reliant on the surrounding state—in this case, the state of D.C.—for security, sewage, water, and other essential needs. It would require foreign governments to negotiate with that state for embassies and other international matters. The Founding Fathers wanted none of this. They wanted Congress to have oversight over the District, something Congress must retain to protect federal interests. And, it has worked well for over 230 years. It is our duty as Representatives for all Americans to safeguard their capital, but that’s not good enough for the progressives on the left, which leads me to the major practical problems with this bill. It is written to maximize the benefit to the new state of D.C. while burdening American taxpayers. The lines of the newly envisioned state of D.C. are completely gerrymandered for maximum tax revenue." Source: Rep. Jody Hice (Republican, Georgia, District 10)
Proponents say
• "Statehood is the only solution for full and equal citizenship rights for residents of the District. To be content with less than statehood is to concede the equality of citizenship that is the birthright of our residents as citizens of the United States. That is a concession no American citizen has ever made, and one that D.C. residents will not tolerate in their 220th year of fighting for equal treatment in their country. This bill reaffirms our determination to obtain each and every right enjoyed by citizens of the United States, by becoming the 51st state in the Union. Since the nation’s founding, District residents have always carried all of the obligations of citizenship, including serving in all of the nation’s wars and payment of federal taxes, all without equal voting representation on the floor in either house of Congress or freedom from congressional interference in purely local matters. D.C. statehood has both the facts and the Constitution on its side. The Constitution does not establish any prerequisites for new states, but Congress has generally considered three factors in admission decisions: resources and population, support for statehood, and commitment to democracy. D.C. pays more federal taxes per capita than any state and pays more federal taxes than 22 states. D.C.’s population of 712,000 is larger than those of two states, and the new state would be one of seven states with a population under one million. D.C.’s budget is larger than those of 12 states, and D.C.’s bond rating is higher than those of 35 states. D.C. has a higher per capita personal income and gross domestic product than any state. Eighty-six percent of D.C. residents voted for statehood in 2016. In fact, D.C. residents have been fighting for voting rights in Congress and local autonomy for 219 years."
Source: Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton (Democrat, Washington D.C., At Large)
• "Our nation’s capital is home to more than 700,000 Americans who, despite our nation’s founding mantra — ‘no taxation without representation’ — pay their share of taxes without full voting representation in either chamber of Congress. In fact, despite paying more in federal taxes per capita than citizens of any of the 50 states, D.C. residents have no say in how those taxes are actually spent. This isn’t a Republican or Democratic issue; it’s an American issue because the lack of fair representation for D.C. residents is clearly inconsistent with the values on which this country was founded." Source: Senator Tom Carper (Democrat, Delaware)
• "Our nation’s capital is home to more than 700,000 Americans who, despite our nation’s founding mantra — ‘no taxation without representation’ — pay their share of taxes without full voting representation in either chamber of Congress. In fact, despite paying more in federal taxes per capita than citizens of any of the 50 states, D.C. residents have no say in how those taxes are actually spent. This isn’t a Republican or Democratic issue; it’s an American issue because the lack of fair representation for D.C. residents is clearly inconsistent with the values on which this country was founded." Source: Senator Tom Carper (Democrat, Delaware)
- Norton Introduces D.C. Statehood Bill with 202 Original Cosponsors in the 117th Congress, Beginning Today (Press Release)
- H.R. 51, Washington, D.C. Admission Act (Congressional Budget Office)
- Why D.C. Should Become Our 51st State (The Hill)
- What the Fight for D.C. Statehood Means (New York Times)
- Washington, D.C., Statehood Divides Congressional Hearing (Wall Street Journal)
- D.C. Statehood Is a Fool’s Errand (Cato Institute)
