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Washington DC statehood: US Democrats renew effort but how likely is it?
A bill, with significant support from Democrats, was introduced in Senate to make District of Columbia the 51st state of the US.
The movement for Washington DC’s statehood has gathered momentum after the January 6 Capitol riots when the White House took hours to mobilise National Guard. Earlier this week, a bill, with significant support from Democrats, was introduced in Senate to make District of Columbia the 51st state of the US.
Delaware Senator Tom Carper, who introduced the bill with a record number of cosponsors, said in a statement that the lack of fair representation for DC residents is “inconsistent with the values on which this country was founded.” “It is therefore incumbent upon all of us who enjoy the right and the privilege of full voting rights and representation to take up the cause of our fellow citizens in the District of Columbia,” Carper added.
Why residents want statehood?
The supporters argue that DC has more residents than Vermont and Wyoming and comparable with several other states like Delaware and Alaska. DC residents pay more in total federal income tax than residents of 22 other states but have no say over how the tax amount is spent.
While DC residents pay the highest per-capita federal income taxes in the United States, they elect a non-voting delegate to the US House of Representatives who can draft legislation but cannot vote. They also don’t have a voice in Senate committees or on the Senate floor, which means they have no say in the determination of federal agencies’ leadership.
Of all the National Guard units, only DC doesn’t have control over its unit and is dependent on the White House. During the Capitol violence episode, police from neighbouring counties in Maryland and Virginia arrived even before the National Guard to take control of the situation. The statehood would give control to the local government.
Read | Capitol Police tighten Congress security in era of rising threats
How likely is the statehood?
Most Republicans oppose statehood for DC since the district is heavily Democratic and admitting Washington as a state would automatically give two Senate seats to Democrats. Although the Democrats control the Senate with 50 seats, the legislation for DC’s statehood, like most legislation, requires 60 votes to end the debate and go for a full vote on the Senate floor. This procedure allows senators to filibuster and debate the bill endlessly to stall the vote. In order to eliminate the filibuster, all 50 Democratic senators need to be on board with the plan but at least two Democrats - Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema - have opposed the idea of ending the procedure.
