On Tuesday, the Biden administration officially said that it supports a bill that would make Washington, D.C., a state.
In a statement of administration policy, the Office of Management and Budget said that the administration “strongly supports H.R. 51, the Washington, D.C. Admission Act,” adding that “the more than 700,000 people of Washington, D.C. have been deprived of full representation in the U.S. Congress. This taxation without representation and denial of selfgovernance is an affront to the democratic values on which our Nation was founded.”
The statement continues, saying that the bill to make D.C. a state “rights this wrong” by “providing its residents with long overdue full representation in Congress, while maintaining a Federal District that will continue to serve as our Nation’s seat of government.”
The statement concludes:
Establishing the State of Washington, Douglass Commonwealth as the 51st state will make our Union stronger and more just. Washington, D.C. has a robust economy, a rich culture, and a diverse population of Americans from all walks of life who are entitled to full and equal participation in our democracy. The Administration looks forward to working with the Congress as H.R. 51 proceeds through the legislative process to ensure that it comports with Congress’ constitutional responsibilities and its constitutional authority to admit new states to the Union by legislation. The Administration calls for the Congress to provide for a swift and orderly transition to statehood for the people of Washington, D.C.
As The Daily Wire reported last month, H.R. 51 would alter the “Capital” area size, making the “Capital” technically “the principal Federal monuments, the White House, the Capitol Building, the United States Supreme Court Building, and the Federal executive, legislative, and judicial office buildings located adjacent to the Mall and the Capitol Building.” It would also name the state “Washington, Douglass Commonwealth” in order to pay tribute to the abolitionist Frederick Douglass.
H.R. 51 is scheduled to see a vote this week. It is expected to pass in the House but will face a more challenging road in the Senate where it would need 60 votes to get past the filibuster.
“The residents of our nation’s capital deserve voting representation in Congress and full local self-government,” said Eleanor Holmes Norton, Washington’s Democratic delegate in the House and the bill’s sponsor, in a statement as reported by CNBC.
“With Thursday’s House vote and expected passage, along with Democratic control of the Senate and White House, we have never been closer to statehood,” she said.
Those who are in support of the bill believe that not allowing D.C. to become a state in an attempt to keep people from voting, specifically in an area where many people of color reside. Those who oppose granting D.C. statehood claim that it is unconstitutional and is an attempt by Democrats to get more control in the legislature.
In a hearing on the bill last month, Rep. James Comer (R-KY) said that “D.C. statehood is a key part of the radical leftist agenda to reshape America, along with the Green New Deal, defunding the police and packing the U.S. Supreme Court.”
Last month, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki revealed President Joe Biden’s stance on D.C. statehood, saying, “He believes they deserve representation, that’s why he supports D.C. statehood.”