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Mar 22, 2021 · Washington, D.C. isn't designated as a state so it currently doesn't have representation in Congress. Many Democrats want to change that. Mike Perry-flickr.com/mrperry/Getty Images. Back in June 2020, the U.S. House of Representatives passed historic legislation that would have transformed the District of Columbia into the nation's 51st state.
- Filibuster
In 1935, Louisiana Sen. Huey P. Long staged a filibuster to...
- State
According to Article IV, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution,...
- Revolutionary War
The Greek city-state of Athens was one of the world's first...
- Alexander Hamilton
Still just a teenager, Hamilton made a name for himself when...
- Filibuster
- What Are The Origins of DC’s Lack of Full Voting Representation?
- What Is The History of The Movement For DC Statehood and Self-Government?
- How Has DC’s Status Affected Its Residents?
- What Is The Washington, DC Admission Act?
- Can Congress Admit DC as A State?
- What Are Arguments Made Against DC Statehood?
- What Makes DC Statehood A Civil Rights Issue?
- What Is The Outlook For DC Statehood?
The District Clause, found in Article Iof the Constitution, empowered Congress to establish a federal capital district “not exceeding ten miles square” where it would “exercise exclusive legislation in all cases whatsoever.” But the Framers made a fateful omission: They failed to provide a means for representation for the district’s future resident...
Over many years, the district’s residents have campaigned to secure the same voting rights enjoyed by citizens of states. These efforts intensified during the civil rights era, leading to the movement’s first success. In 1960 Congress approved the 23rd Amendment, which allowed DC citizens to vote in presidential elections. The measure was ratified ...
The slogan “End Taxation Without Representation,” found on DC license plates, highlights one of the primary harms caused by the lack of voting representation in Congress. DC residents pay more in federal taxes per person than any other state — and more than 22 statesin the aggregate. Congress continues to exercise extensive authority over DC’s budg...
The bill would turn most of present-day Washington, DC, into a new state called Washington, Douglass Commonwealth. The new state would be on equal footing with the existing 50, with the same level of control over its own affairs and full voting representation in Congress, with two senators and one representative. A small capital district comprising...
Yes. The Constitution vests Congress with broad power to admit new states through legislation under Article IV, subject to two limitations: states may not be formed from existing states’ territory without their consent and jurisdictions seeking to join the Union as states must have a republican form of government. Congress has historically applied ...
Opponents have raised several arguments questioning the constitutionality of admitting the district as a state. Some argue that it requires the consent of Maryland, the state from which the land was originally granted. This view is contradicted by historical documentation showing that when Maryland ceded the territory, it stipulated that the land w...
If admitted, DC would have the highest proportion of Black residents of any state. For decades, starting in the 1960s, the city had a majority Black population, still accounting for nearly halfof its residents. Disenfranchising Black voters has both explicitly and implicitly been part of the rationale against efforts to expand voting rights and rep...
Statehood supporters reached an important milestone in June 2020 when the House voted for the first time to admit Douglass Commonwealth as a state, passing H.R. 51 by a vote of 232 to 180. It approved the measure again in April 2021 by the narrower margin of 216 to 208. Both votes fell almost entirely along party lines, garnering no Republican supp...
Jun 17, 2020 · The U.S. Constitution ( Article 1, Section 8, Clause 17 ) instructed that the seat of government be a “District (not exceeding ten miles square)” over which Congress would “exercise exclusive...
- Becky Little
To this day, D.C. does not have voting representation in Congress, and the federal government maintains jurisdiction over the city. For proponents of D.C. statehood like Mayor...
People also ask
Why is Washington DC not a state?
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Mar 19, 2021 · The main reason why Republicans oppose it today is that it would add two seats in the Senate, as well as one in the House, all of which would probably be held by Democrats (since 1964, when...
Jul 9, 2020 · On June 26, 2020, the House of Representatives passed a bill called “H.R. 51” that would make Washington, D.C. the 51st state. Though the bill will likely not pass the Senate,...
The district has no voting representation in Congress and is only treated as a state in presidential elections, when it gets three electoral votes.
