House approves Washington DC’S statehood as 51st state in historic vote

WASHINGTON DC: Four decades after launching its drive for US statehood, Washington, DC, was poised to take a step toward becoming the 51st state as the House of Representatives on Friday approved its admission.

The initiative passed in the Democratic-controlled House by a vote of 232-180, with no Republicans supporting it.

The Republican-controlled Senate is not expected to consider the legislation, and Republican President Donald Trump has publicly opposed the move, noting that statehood would result in electing more Democrats to Congress.

Indeed, voters in the city of Washington have elected only Democratic mayors. Creating a state out of Washington would likely make it more difficult for Republicans to win majorities in the Senate.

On the House floor ahead of the vote, Republican lawmakers argued that making the district into a state was a political ploy by Democrats and would require an amendment to the US Constitution. Some also said Washington was not equipped to be a state and should be absorbed back into Maryland.

Proponents say Washington’s 700,000 inhabitants - more than Vermont and Wyoming - have no voice in the federal government, despite paying federal taxes.

That status is protested with a slogan on Washington’s automobile license plates that screams: “Taxation without representation.”

Currently, legislation passed by the district’s local government is subject to congressional review.

“Congress has two choices: It can continue to exercise undemocratic, autocratic authority over the 705,000 American citizens who reside in our nation’s capital ... or Congress can live up to its nation’s promise and ideals,” said Eleanor Holmes Norton, Washington’s congresswoman.

Norton is not able to vote on legislation.

Local anger over the district’s status flared up most recently during the coronavirus pandemic. Washington received $500 million for its pandemic response, compared with the $1.2 billion the federal government accorded to each of the 50 states.