Week Two: Statehood for Washington DC
Our series continues with looks at statehood for Washington DC this week and Puerto Rico next week. For the first time since the admission of Alaska and Hawaii in 1959, the possibility of adding more stars to the American flag is getting significant public attention. For some Americans, securing statehood for Washington DC and Puerto Rico is just the logical next step in forming a more perfect union and especially important given that the permanent residents of those places currently denied voting representation in the US Congress are predominantly people of color. For other Americans, admitting more states to the union would be anathema for various and shifting reasons.
Where things stand: on April 22, 2021, the US House of Representatives debated HB-51, a measure to make a significant portion of current Washington, D.C. into our 51st state. Following that debate, the bill passed 216-208 along party lines. Unlike previous proposals that would have made all of Washington DC into a state, HB-51 maintains a separate federal district containing the major buildings of the federal government. As a result, HB-51 truly may be constitutional and so has produced a more informative and nuanced debate than previous DC statehood proposals.
Our Constitution touches on the matter of a national capitol only obliquely by giving Congress authority, “To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the Acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of Government of the United States...” Many other things about our national capital that people think or claim are in the Constitution are actually in the Residence Act of 1790 and so can be changed without amending the Constitution; these include its location, name, and actual size. In fact, the federal district has previously been reduced in size when Arlington was returned to Virginia in 1846 and, at 68.3 square miles, the current federal District (encompassing all of the city of Washington DC) actually remains unconstitutionally large.
While Senate action on DC statehood is unlikely anytime soon owing to Senator Joe Manchin’s opposition to both this bill and the Senate rule change that would be needed to bring it to the floor for a vote (fully or partially ending the Filibuster), the House debate offers a good quick introduction to the arguments both for and against DC statehood.
At the link below you will find a video from C-SPAN with excerpts of that debate, the video runs 8 minutes and 30 seconds.