US House passes Washington statehood proposal
US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wears a mask calling for Washington, DC, to be made the 51st US state via the proposed DC Admission Act, to be voted on Thursday at the US Capitol in Washington on April 21.
The House of Representatives voted on Thursday to make the US capital Washington the nation's 51st state, but the historic effort is widely expected to fail when it reaches the Senate.
More than 712,000 people live in the District of Columbia, a Democratic stronghold with a population greater than two states and comparable to two others. Supporters of statehood have framed their cause as an effort to end a glaring American civil rights violation.
The city's residents fight and die in US wars and face a higher federal tax burden than people in the 50 states. But while Washingtonians can cast ballots in presidential elections, they are denied votes in Congress.
The House voted along strict party lines, 216 to 208, with no Republicans supporting the appropriately numbered measure HR 51.
It was the second time the initiative received a vote in Congress. The measure passed the House in 2020 but died in the Senate.
"This is about democracy. It's about self-government. It's about voting rights," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer tweeted after the House vote.
"I was proud to reintroduce this bill in the Senate, and we are working to make #DCStatehood a reality."
Passage, however, is highly unlikely in the Senate, where Democrats hold majority power but Republicans occupy half the seats.
To overcome blocking tactics, 10 Republicans would need to join all Democrats in support for the statehood measure to reach Biden's desk. No Republicans are publicly in favor.
Like many Republicans, Congressman Ben Cline says the statehood push is a "power grab" aimed at adding two Democrats to the Senate.
