WASHINGTON – Democrats and Republicans clashed Monday in Washington, D.C., over an attempt to create a 51st state.
Lawmakers from the House Oversight and Reform Committee discussed during a hearing on the state campaign that a law known as the “Washington, D.C. Admissions Act,” was introduced by Dell in late January. Democrat Eleanor Holmes Norton, introduced by Deal, and Delaware Democrat Tom Carper in the Senate.
Democrats argued Monday that Washingtonians are considered second-class citizens, fulfilling civic responsibilities but not getting representation in Congress in return. Republicans, by contrast, voiced their strong opposition to these efforts, claiming that the law violates the Constitution.
Norton, however, noted that the entry clause of the Constitution gives Congress the power to grant admission to new states, while the Act of Congress gives admission to 37 states. The longtime representative who has been pushing for a DC status for years explained that the issue is personal.
“It’s been almost 200 years since my own family moved to the District of Columbia, as my older grandfather, Richard Holmes, left farming in Virginia as a slave and moved into the district. It is a great honor to serve in a city where my father’s family has lived a life of equal representation for almost two centuries. “Congress can no longer allow DC residents to be sidelined in the democratic process.”
Norton said the DC has so far “never been close” to the state, with Democrats in control of the House, Senate and White House.
Democrats have stepped up pressure for DC statehood since taking over the Senate this year. The House will likely pass legislation again, which it did in the previous Congress, but it is unlikely to succeed in removing the filebuster given a 60-vote term to an evenly divided Senate.
Many G.O.P. Lawmakers opposed the D.C. state that any congressional representation would almost certainly be democratic.
House Majority Leader Stanny Hoyer, D-Mo., Told reporters before the hearing that the law “would allow DC residents to vote in the House and in two U.S. senators, which, to say the least, would make everyone equal. Other citizens,” Hoyer said. It plans to bring the law to the floor in the near future.
The committee’s chairperson, Deputy Caroline Maloney, called on her colleagues to support the move, saying it would “fulfill the promise of democracy” for the more than 1,212,000 Americans living in the city.
“DC residents are American citizens. They fight valiantly for the security of our nation abroad. They pay taxes. In fact, DC pays more in federal taxes than 22 states, and pays more per capita than any state in our nation. DC residents have all the responsibilities of citizenship, but they do not have the right to vote in Congress, and only self-government is limited. “The sad truth is that most of my Republican allies oppose DC statehood simply because they believe it will dilute their power.”
A ranking member of the committee, James Kramer, R-Q, spoke out against making DC a state, saying the bill was “unconstitutional”, arguing that the city is smaller than Columbus, Ohio and is 90 percent democratic.
He said, ‘To reshape America with the Green New Deal, the DC status is a key part of the radical leftist agenda, defaming the police and destroying the U.S. Packs up the Supreme Court. ‘
Rip. Virginia Fox, RNC, passed his line in an inquiry into how many Democrats live in DC and whether they would elect two Democrats to the Senate if the city becomes a state.
Fox said Democrats are “trying to use a razor-thin majority that will have to get itself into power” and trying to use DC as a “pawn” to gain power.
“The opinions expressed here today by the witnesses brought by Democrats show me that there is a tendency to have very little respect for the Constitution,” Foxx said.
Rip. Gary Connolly, D-Va. He said Foxx “threw the cat out of the bag” with his questions, which he called “very inappropriate” because he said he was raising the issue with the Republican Party and political affiliation.
Mayor Muriel Bowser, the state’s proud proponent and chairman of the DC Council, Phil Mendelson, was among the witnesses who testified Monday. Both noted that the city is larger in population than Vermont and Wyoming, paying more per capita than any other state and paying more in federal taxes than 22 states. Bower pointed out that last year Washington changed 5 5,755 million in one of the Covid-19 relief packages because it was not considered a state.
Other Republicans argue that DC should not become a state because its economy is urban. Relay. Glenn Gruthman, R-Wiz., Noted that DC has no manufacturing, agriculture or mining industry.
“I usually think that when members of Congress, or more senators, weigh the bills there, they have to pay attention to how they will affect production, agriculture, mining, where the country’s wealth comes from. I’m not.” Anyone is aware of that, ”Groothman said.
Bowes replied, “We have no mines, Congressmen.”
Responding to state critics, Bower said, “Arguing that Washington must be deprived of Washington to protect the interests of the federal government is dangerous, outdated and outrageous.”
Opponents of the standoff, Mendelssohn, said there were numerous arguments against making DC a state, but he said “none of them go beyond the basic principle that no tax should be levied without representation.”
